The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has strongly asked for avoiding any ambiguity in dealing with terrorism and also warned against nations that use terrorism as a tool of foreign policy. He was addressing the third ‘No Money for Terror’ (NMFT) Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing in New Delhi today.
Welcoming the gathering, the Prime Minister marked the significance of the conference taking place in India and recalled when the nation saw the dark face of terror long before the world took serious note of it. “Over the decades,” the Prime Minister said, “terrorism, in different names and forms, tried to hurt India.” He added that even though thousands of precious lives were lost, India fought terrorism bravely. The Prime Minister highlighted that it is an opportunity for all the delegates to interact with India and its people who have been firm in tackling terror. “We consider that even a single attack is one too many. Even a single life lost is one too many. So, we will not rest till terrorism is uprooted”, the Prime Minister exclaimed.
Highlighting the importance of this conference, the Prime Minister said that it should not be seen just as a gathering of ministers as terrorism impacts entire humanity. He said that the long-term impact of terrorism is particularly hard on the poor and on the local economy. “Be it tourism or trade, nobody likes an area that is constantly under threat”, Shri Modi remarked. He further added that the livelihoods of people are snatched away as a result of terrorism. He pointed out that it is all the more important that we strike at the root of terror financing.
