Treat Muslims as ‘your own’: PM Modi

In a surprise move, PM says India will ratify Paris climate agreement on October 2

In an attempt to reach out to Muslims, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a BJP meeting here Sunday that they are “not a substance of hate”, nor should they be considered as “items of vote market” but should be treated as “your own”.

He invoked BJP ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay to make these comments while addressing the BJP national council meeting in Kerala, a state with a huge Muslim population, where the party is trying to expand its base.

The PM also said, in a surprise announcement, that India will ratify the Paris agreement on climate change on October 2, Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, which will be a “big step” towards bringing the historic deal into full force. The ratification of the agreement limiting greenhouse gases next Sunday is expected to give momentum to implementation of measures at the international level to control global warming. Mr Modi’s announcement was warmly welcomed in Washington and several other major capitals.

The PM insisted that his government’s mission of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” was not a political slogan but a commitment to ensure the welfare of the last man in society. In his speech, Mr Modi spoke at length on secularism, balanced and inclusive growth and the need for electoral reforms while paying tribute to Upadhyay on his 100th birth anniversary.

“These days, the definition has been distored. Even nationalism is cursed these days,” he said. Talking of the life and contribution of Upadhyay, Mr Modi quoted him as saying: “Don’t reward nor rebuke Muslims. Empower them. They are not items of vote market nor are they substance of hate. Treat them as your own.”

He insisted that for the BJP nobody was a “pariah”. At the end of the two-day BJP conclave, the PM traced the party’s journey from the Jan Sangh days and declared “we never compromised with our ideology”.

On the Paris climate pact, while Western nations, including the United States, had been pushing for an early ratification, possibly by the end of this year, India had been seeking more time to complete its national processes as it fears any hasty decision may impact its development projects. “There is one work left in the CoP21 (Conference of Parties). Ratification is yet to be done and India too is yet to do it. Today, on the birth anniversary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay, I announce that India will ratify the decisions on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi,” Mr Modi said.

Mr Modi said he had chosen the date as Mahatma Gandhi’s life was an example of minimum carbon footprint. During the Paris climate meet in December last year, over 190 nations agreed on setting ambitious goals for capping global warming and funnelling trillions of dollars to poor countries facing climate catastrophe. The pact will come into force after it is ratified by at least 55 countries that account for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Talking about the need to ratify the COP21 decision, Mr Modi said there was a looming threat due to global warming to many coastal countries and cities. Even Kerala, where the conclave was held, is a coastal area.

The US welcomed Mr Modi’s announcement. “We welcome the news India will join the #ParisAgreement October 2,” US ambassador to India Richard Verma said. “Congrats Prime Minister @narendramodi for your leadership to #ActOnClimate,” Mr Verma tweeted.

Minister of state for environment Anil Madhav Dave said India ratifying the Paris agreement will be a “big” step and will bring a big change in the world regarding climate change.

In his address at the BJP council meeting, the PM also pitched for electoral reforms, and said the time had come for wider consultations to see how the system could be improved in the context of the role of money and the holding of simultaneous elections to Parliament and the state Assemblies. He made these suggestions in his valedictory address to the national council meeting.

“The time has come for wider discussions on electoral reforms. There is a need to discuss reforms in the electoral system. What are the shortcomings in the system, what is the role of money, the use of government machinery... How many kinds of burden the country faces due to various polls. People of many political parties tell me that something should be done about electoral reforms,” Mr Modi said.