Speech by Hon'ble President of India, Shrimati Pratibha Devisingh Patil, at the Presentation of the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2008

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure and privilege for me to confer the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for the year 2008 to Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA. I extend my heartiest congratulations to Dr. ElBaradei who has been at the helm of the IAEA for over twelve years, during an important period in international relations. The Agency has faced many challenges during these years and Dr. ElBaradei, as its leader, has been instrumental in guiding the Agency to meet these challenges.

The Late Prime Minister, Smt. Indira Gandhi, believed that nations would prosper when they live in harmony with each other. She had an abiding faith in the view that the whole of humanity had a shared destiny; and that all must work together collectively for peace in the world and for sustaining life on Planet Earth. She believed that peace was not a passive concept but a positive one that required a deep commitment to work for the welfare of fellow human beings and to build goodwill between countries. She often expressed confidence in the innate goodness of human beings to move the world towards concord. In 1983 at the Summit of the Non-Aligned Countries in New Delhi, Smt. Indira Gandhi articulated the view that development, disarmament and peace were closely interlinked. Dr. ElBaradei in his work has demonstrated concern and compassion towards humankind and spoken of the interdependency between security and poverty alleviation. He has cherished these values during his tenure as the Director General of the IAEA and, for this, we honour him.

We are living in a time when energy security and climate change are among the issues defining global discourse. Over the world, there is a high dependency on fossil fuels for energy, but there is also an accompanying search for alternative energy sources. In India, we seek to increase the share of renewable and non-conventional sources of energy in our energy mix. We look at nuclear energy as a valuable means for addressing our rising energy needs and sustaining our nation's development, even as we address the challenges of climate change.

The conclusion of civil nuclear cooperation agreements will enable India to expedite its goal of harnessing the peaceful uses of nuclear energy for the benefit of over 1 billion of its people. Dr. ElBaradei's consistent encouragement and support during these last few years has been invaluable in our efforts to forge new civil nuclear partnerships with other countries. We, therefore, welcome him in our country as a friend.

India is a developing country that got its freedom through a unique way of non-violence. We know that there can be no development without peace. We value peace and we know that the very existence of nuclear weapons and, consequently the ever present possibility of their use, pose a threat to mankind. The spectre of holocaust hanging over our heads diverts resources and attention away from development.

Smt. Indira Gandhi spoke of creating a world free from the shadow of nuclear war. Carrying forward this idea, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi motivated by the belief that, everybody had a duty to turn the face of humankind from darkness towards light and from death towards life, presented an Action Plan for a nuclear weapons- free world at the Third Special Session on Disarmament of the UN General Assembly in 1988. India's long standing commitment to universal, non-discriminatory and comprehensive nuclear disarmament is well known. This commitment stands undiluted and undiminished. We believe that the goal of global nuclear disarmament will enhance not only our national security but also the security of all countries.

However, we live in a time when proliferation challenges remain and threaten to undermine our security. The international community needs to forge a new global consensus on non-proliferation to address contemporary challenges, particularly the dangers emanating from the likelihood of non-state actors acquiring and using weapons of mass destruction. While every State has the right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy, we also believe that States should adhere to commitments they have undertaken under international treaties and instruments. India is proud of its non-proliferation record. We have an effective law based system of export controls and are a responsible member of the comity of nations.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

India has been a consistent votary for building an international consensus for making the world a safer place. We also believe that the advances made in science and technology must be used for human welfare. Even as we work on scientific methods, we must not forget the values of caring and compassion. We must be sensitive to the plight of fellow human beings. As Smt. Indira Gandhi said, "the power and ingenuity of the human race must be used, not to perfect weapons of annihilation but to harness the resources of the Earth so that all people may enjoy a life of security and dignity".

India will always carry the message of non-violence to the world. Being the land of Mahatma Gandhi, the Apostle of Peace, we also have a moral duty to do so. Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi, a renowned classical singer of India, who was decorated with the highest civilian award of our country, the Bharat Ratna, in her rendition at the United Nations sang:-

which means:-

"Cultivate friendship which will conquer all hearts,   
Look upon others as thyself,   
Renounce war, renounce competition".

Let us give up the race for weapons. Let us build peace and harmony. Like India - Egypt, Dr. ElBaradei's country, is also the cradle of an ancient civilization. One of the messages from ancient Egypt was that if you search for the laws of harmony, you will find knowledge. Both countries are lands where harmony and knowledge have a high place.

As we pursue the objectives of nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, let us be guided by the spirit of universal good. Let us use the benefits of nuclear science for the welfare of humankind whether for energy or for the field of medicine and agriculture or for other peaceful purposes.

We owe Dr. ElBaradei a debt of gratitude for his efforts to promote the peaceful uses of atomic energy and to highlight the need to move purposefully on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. In the end, I once again congratulate Dr. ElBaradei for the Indira Gandhi Award for Peace, Disarmament and Development. We wish him all the very best and a long and successful life.

Thank you 
Jai Hind. 
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