The Indian PM delivered the address a day after India and Guyana agreed to expand their cooperation in areas like defense, urban development, education, and food security and signed a number of memorandums of understanding (MoU) in various important sectors, including banking, agriculture, health, and hydrocarbons.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a special session of the Guyana Parliament in Georgetown on Nov 21, urged the world to tackle complex challenges with the mantra of "democracy and humanity first," emphasizing that this meant bringing everyone along and making decisions for the greater good of humanity.
“India has never moved forward with an expansionist mindset; it has stayed away from usurping the resources of others, been driven by the principles of trust and transparency, and has always made an honest effort to help any country that’s facing a crisis,” said Modi.
“It has been guided by the philosophy of ‘democracy and humanity first’ while discharging its duties as a Vishwa Bandhu, or friend to the world,” he added.
Modi continued, “The spirit of ‘democracy first’ teaches us to take everyone along and become a partner in one another’s progress. ‘Humanity first’ guides our decision-making. When we make ‘humanity first’ the basis of our decision-making, the results also benefit humanity.”
Modi is the first Indian prime minister to travel to the South American nation in 56 years.
“For the world, this is not a time for conflict. This is the time to identify and eliminate the conditions that lead to conflict...Whether it’s space or the seas, these should be subjects of universal cooperation, not universal conflict,” he said while addressing.
He said that all nations are important and that global objectives cannot be met if any are ignored.
“That’s why India doesn’t consider island nations as small ones but regards them as large ocean countries,” said Modi.
The address was delivered the day after India and Guyana agreed to expand their cooperation in areas like defense, urban development, education, and food security and signed a number of memorandums of understanding in various important sectors, including banking, agriculture, health, and hydrocarbons.
Indicating the help given to Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nepal, Turkey, and Syria, he said, “Whenever any country has faced a crisis, India has reached first. These are our values. We have never moved ahead with a selfish approach, and we have never had an expansionist mindset.”
Recalling the long-standing historical connections between Guyana and India, Modi said that despite their geographical separation, their shared culture and democratic values united them and aided in their advancement along an inclusive course.
“There is no greater tool than democracy for building an inclusive society. India and Guyana have shown democracy is not just a law or arrangement. It is in our DNA, our vision, and our conduct,” he said.
In his speech, Modi emphasized India's position as a first responder and its willingness to assist any nation in need, whether it be during a natural disaster, a conflict, or the Covid-19 pandemic, when it provided vaccines and medications to more than 150 countries.
“After the pandemic, we had to move towards a new world order, but the world got entangled in other things. In these circumstances, the world must move ahead with the mantra ‘democracy first, humanity first,’” he added.
For the bright future of the next generation, he said, it is important that the world address issues like terrorism, narcotics, and cybercrimes, emphasizing, “This is possible only if the mantra of ‘democracy first, humanity first’ takes center stage.”
According to Modi, it is necessary that the Global South speak with one voice. “This is the time for the awakening of the Global South,” he said, adding that India's motto of "humanity first" motivates it to raise its voice, including at the recent G-20 Summit in Brazil.
He also mentioned how India made women-led development a top priority during its G-20 leadership last year and said that women will be essential to guaranteeing global prosperity in the 21st century.
In order to fully realize the potential of the youth, he advocated for increased educational and innovative exchanges between Guyana and India. He said Guyana may serve as a conduit for opportunities between India and the continent of Latin America, highlighting India's strong commitment to deepening India-Guyana ties.
He expressed gratitude to President Mohamed Irfaan Ali of Guyana for hosting the 2nd India-Caricom Summit and reaffirmed India's unwavering commitment to the Caribbean.
Modi said during the summit on Nov 20 that India intends to strengthen its collaboration with nations in the Caricom (Caribbean Community), concentrating on seven main areas: innovation, technology and trade, cricket and culture, agriculture and food security, renewable energy and climate change, medicine and healthcare, and capacity building.
The term Caricom, which is linked to the PM, is made up of the seven areas that Modi highlighted. Caricom is a coalition of 21 nations, comprising six associate members and 15 member states.
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