'Modi combining best of Gandhi, Nehru to bring 3rd revolution in India'

New Delhi, Nov 7: Nobel Prize winner and former President of Israel Shimon Peres on Nov 7 lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he is paving the 'third revolution' in India by combining tradition with the right technology to take the country to new heights.

"I met yesterday your Prime Minister and he himself is running the 'third revolution'. The first was introduced by -- I would call him a prophet -- Mahatma Gandhi. Then Jawaharlal Nehru looked how to pave the ground for sustainable India. He did something which is unusual. Five-year plan from Russia and another from MIT.

"Then came the Prime Minister (Modi) who has great experience and wisdom in India itself, and created a 'third revolution' combining the spirit of Gandhi and the pragmatism of Nehru. We should not give moral judgement yet, we can bring India to new heights," Peres said.

The 91-year-old Israeli statesman was speaking here at a discussion on 'Creating a Second Green Revolution in India', organised by Ananta Centre and Pratt Foundation. In the area of agriculture, Peres said that India must make efforts for collaboration between India-Israel-Australia to achieve food and water security and explore work in marine and medical agriculture.

Since agriculture is a "complicated business", there is a need to share farm technologies and use of all sciences between countries to boost farm output amid challenges of shrinking land and water resources, he added. Peres said that unlike the French and Russian revolutions, Green Revolution was not effected by killing people, but through scientific technologies.

"It (Green Revolution) is spreading and it is still the beginning of a revolution," he said, adding that it has brought new challenges that must be dealt with.

"We must maintain the increased yields, but with more environmentally-sustainable practices. I'm convinced that the answer lies in science and technology. India and Israel have a common agenda. We both realise the importance of food security for both our national security and regional stability," Peres later said in an official statement.

PTI