Modi receives Seoul Peace Prize; donates it to Namami Gange fund

Seoul, Feb. 22 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the Seoul Peace Prize here on Friday. He dedicated the prize to the people of India and donated its amount to the Namami Gange Fund.

Expressing his gratitude after receiving the prize, Modi said, “I believe that this award belongs not to me but to the people of India. It belongs to the success India has achieved in the less than five years powered by the strengths and skills of 1.3 billion Indians and on their behalf, I humbly accept the award and express my gratitude.”

He said the award was recognition of the philosophy that gave the world the message of “Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam (the world is a family)”. “It is for the culture that has given the message of peace even on the battle field. In the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna preached the Bhagwad Gita during the battle,” he said.

The Prime Minister said, “The Seoul Peace Prize is for the land which prays may there be peace everywhere in the sky, in the space, all over planet, in nature. May there be eternal peace.

“This award is for the people who have always put societal good above individual ambitions. And I am honoured that it is being conferred on me this year, when we celebrate the 150 birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.”

Donating the award money to the Namami Gange fund, Modi said, “I would like to contribute the monetary award of $200,000 i.e. INR 1 crore 30 lakh to the Namami Gange fund for our efforts to clean river Ganga, which is not just the economic lifeline of millions of people but is also held sacred by us.”

Modi said the Seoul Peace Prize was established to mark the success and spirit of the summer Olympics held in Seoul in 1988 and noted that the games were an important landmark in world history.

“The 1988 Olympics were held at a time of many changes in the world. The Iran-Iraq war had just ended. The Geneva accords relating to the situation in Afghanistan had been signed earlier that year. The Cold War was ending, and there was great hope that a new golden age will soon dawn,” he said.

Modi said the world was better in many aspects than it was in 1988. Global poverty has fallen and healthcare and education outcomes have improved but many challenges remain.

He said a few months before the Seoul Olympics, the first public warnings about climate change were sounded and it is recognised as a big threat to humankind.

“A few weeks before the Seoul Olympics, an organisation called Al Qaeda was formed. Today, radicalisation and terrorism have become globalised and are the biggest threats to global peace and security,” he said, adding that millions of people still remain without adequate and quality access to food, shelter, health-care, sanitation, power, and dignity of life.

He said solution to the hardships lies in hard work and India is doing its part.

Modi said India is the fastest growing large economy in the world with strong economic fundamentals and its growth and prosperity will contribute to global growth and development.

India, he said, has also been in the forefront of collective fight against climate change, has also partnered to launch the International Solar Alliance and was committed to make a peaceful, stable and economically inter-linked world.

He said progress over the past year towards peace on the Korean peninsula has been heartening and lauded the role of South Korean President Moon jae-in. “I state again my government’s strong support to the ongoing dialogue process between the two Koreas and between the USA and DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or North Korea),” he said.

Referring to a Korean saying, “a good beginning is half the battle won”, he expressed confidence that peace will soon prevail on the Korean Peninsula.