Need to unitedly fight against terrorism: Rajnath at SCO meet

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday called upon the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states to collectively work towards eliminating terrorism in all its forms and fix accountability on those who aid or fund such activities.

Addressing the Defence Ministers of SCO member countries in Delhi, Rajnath Singh asserted that any kind of terrorist act or support for it in any form is a major crime against humanity, and peace and prosperity cannot coexist with this menace.

"If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others but for itself too. The radicalisation of youth is a cause of concern not only from the point of view of security, but it is also a major obstacle in the path of socioeconomic progress of society. If we want to make the SCO a stronger & more credible international organisation, our top-most priority should be to effectively deal with terrorism," Rajnath Singh said according to a government press release.

Rajnath Singh went on to say that India envisions a robust framework of regional cooperation that mutually respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states by taking care of their legitimate interests, the statement said.

He asserted that New Delhi strives to further bolster trust and cooperation among the members of the SCO as it believes in maintaining peace and security based on the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

Sharing his insights on the vision to ensure collective prosperity, Rajnath Singh called for concerted efforts by the SCO member states, so that the region, with limitless possibilities in today's multilateral world, shifts to the mindset of 'great gain from win-win paradigm' from 'great game of zero-sum, win-lose paradigm'.

"India has always followed the principle of 'Let us walk together and move forward together'. Every era has a zeitgeist (defining idea). The zeitgeist of the present era is 'Win-win cooperation for the great gain'," he said.

Rajnath Singh also elaborated on the concept of 'SECURE' floated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during the SCO summit in Qingdao, China in 2018. He stated that every alphabet of the word 'SECURE' reflects India's commitment towards the multi-dimensional welfare of the region. (S-Security of citizens, E-Economic development for all, C-Connecting the region, U-Uniting the people, R-Respect for sovereignty and integrity, and E-Environmental protection).

Drawing the attention of the member states to various dimensions of 'SECURE', the defence minister stated that today a large part of the world is passing through a food crisis. He urged the SCO member countries to ensure food security under an integrated plan.