Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called for united efforts to shape global norms for emerging technologies such as social media and cryptocurrencies so that they can be used to “empower” democracy and not “weaken” it. for.
In a virtual address at the Summit of Democracy hosted by US President Joe Biden, Modi said India would be happy to share its expertise in conducting free and fair elections and increasing transparency in all areas of governance. Referring to Abraham Lincoln’s famous quote on democracy, the Prime Minister said that democracy is also about being “with the people, within the people”.
“Structural features such as multi-party elections, independent judiciary and independent media are important tools of democracy. However, the core strength of democracy is the spirit and ethos inherent in our citizens and our societies,” he said. “Democracy is not only of the people, by the people, for the people but also with the people, within the people,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister also called for joint efforts to shape global norms for emerging technologies such as social media and cryptocurrencies.
“We must also jointly shape global norms for emerging technologies such as social media and cryptocurrencies, so that they can be used to empower democracy, not undermine it,” he said.
This is the second time in the last three weeks that Modi called for a concerted action on the need to regulate cryptocurrencies.
In his virtual address at the Sydney Dialogue on November 18, Modi urged democratic countries to work together to ensure that cryptocurrencies do not fall into the wrong hands.
In his remarks at the Summit of Democracy, Modi said that the democratic spirit is an integral part of India’s civilizational ethos and the democratic spirit of the Indian people could not be suppressed by the centuries of colonial rule.
It found full expression again with India’s independence, and led a unique story in democratic nation-building over the past 75 years, he said. “It is a story of unprecedented socio-economic inclusion across all sectors. It is a story of continuous improvement in health, education and human welfare, which is unimaginable,” he said.
“India’s story has a clear message to the world. Democracy can deliver, democracy has given and democracy will continue to deliver,” he said.
Modi said that by working together democracy can fulfill the aspirations of the citizens and celebrate the democratic spirit of humanity.
“India stands ready to join fellow democracies in this noble endeavour,” he said. Modi began by saying that he was proud to represent the world’s largest democracy at the summit.
“India would be happy to share its expertise in conducting free and fair elections and increasing transparency in all areas of governance through innovative digital solutions,” he added. The Prime Minister said that different parts of the world have followed different paths of democratic development and there is much to learn from each other.
“We all need to continuously improve our democratic practices and systems. And, we all need to continuously enhance inclusion, transparency, human dignity, responsible grievance redressal and decentralization of power,” he said.