TIME interview: Modi for global treaty on terror

PM STRESSES NEED TO DELINK TERROR FROM FAITH, WHILE PLEDGING TO UPHOLD RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an interview to the TIME magazine, has called for a global treaty on terror and the need to delink it from faith, while pledging to uphold religious freedom at home.

Answering a question on growing assertiveness of China, where he is headed for a three-day trip on May 14, Modi shrugged off any reason for anxiety. The PM said “each country” had the “right to increase its presence, its impact and influence internationally for the benefit of the global community” provided they respected international rules.

Modi also urged the international community to pass a deadlocked UN treaty on terrorism — Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism — as a “first step” to fight terror.

Asked if Muslim nations needed to do more to stem radicalism, Modi said the world needed to view terror from a “larger perspective”. “I think terrorism is a thought process... countries… need to… fight as a collective and not looking at individual groups from the perspective of individual religions.”

On China, Modi said both India and China had “learnt from history”. “Not a single bullet has been fired for over a quarter-century,” he said.

Asked how far he would be able to go on economic reforms, Modi said the agenda was to ensure “ease of doing business”, making government more accountable and reforms at the level of local government and upwards.

FINAL CALL ON E-VISA TO BE TAKEN SOON

The government is yet to take a final call on the issue of extending the e-tourist visa on arrival facility to the Chinese nationals. “Prime Minister is likely to take a final call over it. It is now going to be political decision,” said an official requesting anonymity.

A high-level meeting was convened by the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Wednesday and it was attended by foreign and home secretaries and Intelligence Bureau chief to discuss the issue.

The security agencies again reiterated their concerns over extending the e-visa to Chinese nationals saying it could be misused to jeopardise security of the country.