“We stand united in strongly condemning the dreadful acts of terrorism in Paris... The entire humanity must stand together as one against terrorism. The need for a united global effort to combat terrorism has never been more urgent,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the meeting of the BRICS leaders on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.
India, which takes over the Chairmanship of BRICS from February 1, 2016, will accord priority to combating terrorism, he said. In the worst ever terror attacks by ISIS in Paris on November 13, at least 129 people were killed and 352 injured, many in critical condition.
Combating terrorism, Modi said, “must also be a priority for BRICS nations”.
Besides Modi, BRICS meeting is being attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Jacob Zuma and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.
Modi said: “We express deepest sympathy and support to Russia for the loss of life in Sinai. Ankara and Beirut are also reminders of terror’s growing spread and impact”.
“The theme of India’s BRICS Chairmanship will be ‘Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions’ which, in short, will be ‘BRICS’. It aptly describes the ethos of our group,” Modi said.
There was a time when the logic of BRICS and its lasting capacity were being questioned, but on Sunday BRICS can also give shape to G20, he added. “We have provided proof of the relevance and value of BRICS through our actions. And, this has come at a time of huge global challenges,” he said, adding that “together, we can also give shape to G20”.
The New Development Bank, the Currency Reserve Arrangement, Strategy for BRICS Economic Cooperation - these are clear evidence of our vision and our resolve.
“India attaches the highest importance to BRICS. We are honoured to assume the Chairmanship of BRICS from February 1, 2016 and build on the great work done by other Members,” he said.
Paris carnage brings back haunting memories to Mumbai attack
“Our heartbeat almost stopped,” said a Mumbai attack survivor who lost six of his kin in the terror strike, as the Paris carnage brought back haunting memories of horror, pain and fear on Sunday to 26/11 victims.
Ten members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Pakistan-based terror outfit, had carried out a series of 12 coordinated attacks lasting four days across Mumbai in November 2008, killing 164 people and injuring over 300. The deadly attacks in Paris on Friday night claimed by the dreaded Islamic State left at least 129 people dead and over 350 wounded.
39-year-old Shamim Shaikh, who lost six of his kin on the night of November 26, 2008, said the Paris attack has only brought back memories of fear and the pain that his other family members had to go through.
“There was a strange atmosphere that night. We were to go to our native place then, but, as soon as we entered the station, we saw that people were running helter-skelter. Till the time we understood what was happening, six persons from my family were already dead,” he told PTI.
“As soon as we heard that such an attack has happened in Paris, our heartbeat almost stopped. We get this feeling again and again that we should not live in big cities. It is better to live in our village, eat once a day, but at least live safely,” Shaikh said.
He said that those spreading terror in the name of Islam are not really Muslims, because the religion stands for peace.