'WONDERFUL GLIMPSE OF TRANSFORMATIVE INDIA': PM MODI HAILS FIRSTPOST'S PALKI SHARMA ON HER POWERFUL OXFORD UNION SPEECH

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the powerful speech made by Firstpost's managing editor Palki Sharma at the Oxford Union, last year.

The remarks from the prime minister came just days after Palki's address at the union started swirling around yet again. In her 14-minute-long address, Palki attempted to give a picture of India which is out of the shackles of self-doubt and is currently emerging as a confident economic powerhouse.

In the speech, the firebrand journalist used daily life anecdotes, data and facts to substantiate her arguments. As a result, the speech still resonated with people as the world's largest democracy heads to the polls.

PM Modi lauds the powerful address at Oxford

In his tweet, the prime minister pointed out that Palki gave a poignant glimpse of the transformation, India witnessed in recent years.

"You have given a wonderful glimpse of the massive transformations taking place across India,@palkisu!" he wrote on X, tagging the Firstpost journalist.

Palki expressed her gratitude towards the Prime Minister. "Thank you, @narendramodi ji. It is my privilege and honour to tell the Indian story to the world," she replied.

India on the right path: Palki's historic address at Oxford Union

Palki started off her address by sharing an anecdote of what she saw outside Delhi airport. She recalled how she saw two local vendors selling fruits and coconut water using UPI as the primary form of transaction.

Palki went on to highlight her experience of living in "today's India". She pointed out how India transformed itself from a "self-doubting nation where decisions were taken based on global opinion" to a confident entity. "Indians are more prosperous at home and hence more confident abroad," she said.

She went on to emphasise that while India has emerged as a "soft power giant," it is "no longer a timid democracy that tolerates terrorism or betrayals". She recalled the time when Pakistani terrorists attacked Kashmir's Pulwama, India hit back with surgical strikes on Balakot.

"Today invasions and colonialism are part of our history, not our identity, we are shaped by years of subjugation, not defined by them. We are excited about our Global responsibilities, not wary of them this change in confidence comes from growth at home," Palki explained.

India's global position

During her address, Palki insisted that India never tried to play an "outsized role" but always played the "rights role". She also elucidated why India did not take sides in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

"In the Russia-Ukraine war, India has not taken sides and I know it confuses a lot of people here but back home the thinking is very clear," she said.

"It is not in our national interest to pick sides and make things worse. India has excellent relations with Russia and the West and we want to preserve that. It's like when your two good friends fight do you pick sides and make things worse or do you try to talk sense to them and bridge the divide," she said.

Giving references to India's "vaccine maitri" initiative and how it helped Sri Lanka to get out of the historic economic crisis, Palki reiterated that "India is building relations with countries based on mutual respect and equality".

"I think that's the hallmark of great diplomacy and statecraft when you're loved and respected in all quarters more importantly when you're trusted in all quarters," she said.

How India defied Western predictions

In her powerful speech, Palki destroyed the false narratives of India being religiously intolerant by sharing facts about how the PM Modi administration worked towards the upliftment of minorities.

"It's easy to quote anecdotes and paint an entire country as intolerant, but random elements and sporadic incidents do not speak for India its leadership or its government. Only policies do," she said.

Overall, Palki highlighted how India defied Western prediction. "India has defied Western predictions, it's the world's largest democracy charting its own course. India today has shared the burden of trying to comply with Western constructs. "No amount of lecturing or virtue signalling is shaking India's confidence and that is what unsettles critics," she said.

She went on to emphasise that it is wrong to judge "one country on the parameters of another".

Palki's address garnered major attention online, a year after she delivered it at Oxford University. While some netizens emphasised that the speech should reach every Indian, others went on to call her the "The Nightingale of Indian Media".

2024-04-26T04:11:21Z dg43tfdfdgfd