Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked for a mechanism to take “cost” from nations supporting terrorism in a covert attack on Pakistan and China.
The Prime Minister also emphasised the importance of excluding groups and people who try to foster “sympathy for terrorism.”
Additionally, Prime Minister Modi stated that international organisations shouldn’t believe that the absence of violence equates to peace during the opening session of the “No Money for Terror” Conference, which got underway in the nation’s capital on Friday.
Without specifically mentioning Pakistan and China, the prime minister denounced the nations that aid terrorism and claimed that they provide both ideological and material support.
“It is well known that terrorist organisations get money through several sources-one is state support. Certain countries support terrorism as part of their foreign policy. They offer political, ideological and financial support to them. International organisations must not think that the absence of war means peace. Proxy wars are also dangerous and violent. There must be a cost imposed upon countries that support terrorism. Organisations and individuals that try to create sympathy for terrorists must also be isolated,” PM Modi said.
He also emphasised dismantling the terrorists’ support systems and stated that the fight against terrorism requires a proactive and organised approach.
“Uprooting terrorism needs a larger, proactive, systemic response, If we want our citizens to be safe, we cannot wait until terror comes to our homes. We must pursue terrorists, break their support networks and hit their finances,” PM Modi said.
A “consistent, cohesive, and zero-tolerance attitude” is the only way to destroy terrorism, according to the prime minister, who also drew a distinction between battling terrorists and fighting terrorism.
“Only a uniform, unified, and zero-tolerance approach can defeat terrorism. Fighting terrorists and terrorism are two different things. A terrorist is an individual, but terrorism is about a network of individuals and organisations. Uprooting terrorism needs a larger proactive response,” he said.
Additionally, he emphasised that all terrorist actions merit the same level of outrage and response and said that the location of the incident cannot determine how strongly people will react to it.
“We consider that even a single attack is one too many. Even a single life lost is one too many. So, we will not rest till terrorism is uprooted. It is significant that this conference is happening in India. Our country faced horrors of terror long before the world took serious note of it. Over the decades terrorism in different forms tried to hurt India but we’ve fought terrorism bravely,” he said.
The Prime Minister also underlined the need to strike at the “root of terror financing”.
“Nobody likes an area that is constantly under threat. And due to this, the livelihood of people is taken away. It is all the more important that we strike at the root of terror financing,” PM Modi said.
When dealing with a global threat, he claimed, there is no room for an “ambiguous approach,” and he referred to terrorism as an assault on humanity, freedom, and civilization.
“In today’s world, ideally, there should be no need for anyone to remind the world of the dangers of terrorism, However, there are still certain mistaken notions about terrorism in some circles. The intensity of the reaction to various attacks cannot be based on where it happened. All terrorist attacks deserve equal outrage and action. Further, sometimes, there are indirect arguments made in support of terrorism to block action against terrorists. There is no place for an ambiguous approach while dealing with a global threat. It is an attack on humanity, freedom and civilization,” PM Modi said.