Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Mohammad Umar Farooq, along with Aga Syed Hassan and Molvi Imran Raza Ansari, met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi and exchanged views on the grave situation confronting the region, the need for restraint and diplomacy, and the importance of safeguarding unity within the Muslim Ummah.

During the interaction, the delegation, as per a statement, conveyed solidarity with the people of Iran and expressed deep concern over the loss of innocent lives, destruction of homes and infrastructure, and the climate of fear and insecurity created by war.

They also referred to the continuing devastation in Palestine and the loss of life and instability in Lebanon, saying the widening cycle of conflict had created an extremely serious situation across the region.

Mirwaiz said that at such a critical moment, wisdom, restraint and statesmanship were needed more than ever.

“War only multiplies human suffering. However serious the differences may be, endless confrontation cannot resolve them. Ultimately, even the most difficult disputes have to return to dialogue, engagement and negotiation,” he said.

He stressed that the present conflicts must not be allowed to deepen sectarian divisions within the Muslim world. At a time when Muslims in many parts of the world are already facing Islamophobia, insecurity and uncertainty, he said political rivalries and sectarian differences should not be permitted to further weaken the Ummah.

“Our differences must never overcome the larger bonds of faith, brotherhood and shared humanity. The suffering of people in Iran, Palestine, Lebanon and elsewhere should bring us closer in compassion and responsibility, not push us further apart,” Mirwaiz said.

He recalled the historic association of Iran with Srinagar’s Jama Masjid, including the commemorative gathering held there following the passing of Imam Ruhollah Khomeini (RA) in 1989. He also recalled Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei’s historic visit to Kashmir in the early years following the Islamic Revolution, when he addressed the Friday congregation at Jama Masjid in the presence of Shaheed-e-Millat Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq (RA), stressing the message of the Qur’an, brotherhood and Shia-Sunni unity.

On the occasion, Mirwaiz presented Foreign Minister Araghchi with a specially crafted walnut-wood souvenir depicting the historic Jama Masjid Srinagar, symbolising the enduring cultural and spiritual bonds between the people of Kashmir and Iran.

Referring to the wider regional and global situation, Mirwaiz said South Asia’s own experience had demonstrated the heavy human cost of prolonged tensions and unresolved disputes and had reinforced the need for sustained engagement and dialogue.

He said India, with its legacy of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of Ahimsa, could play a constructive role in encouraging restraint, diplomacy and peaceful engagement at a time of growing international tensions.

“The grave challenges facing our world cannot be settled through ever-widening wars. Confrontation will only aggravate them. Human dignity has no sect or nationality, and every innocent life is precious. We must remain on the right side of history — on the side of justice, humanity and peace,” Mirwaiz said.

The delegation expressed hope that the present crisis would not widen further and that diplomacy, dialogue and reconciliation would prevail over confrontation.

New Delhi, Sep 13: Prime Minister NarendraModi on Sunday sought to project BRICS as a platform through which the Global South can have a greater voice in shaping international solutions, saying the grouping’s credibility had grown because the experiences and concerns of developing countries were being heard and addressed collectively.

“From my personal experience, I can say that the Global South countries’ confidence in BRICS has grown, because within BRICS: Their voices are heard. Their experiences are respected. And solutions are developed not for them, but together with them,” PM Modi said.
His remarks came as India has increasingly sought to position itself as a voice for the developing world and use groupings such as BRICS to promote a more inclusive model of global growth.

The PM said the strength of BRICS lay in its diversity and cooperation, with member countries rooted in different realities but able to advance together.
“We may be rooted in different realities, but together, we rise through cooperation, and blossom for humanity,” he said.
PM Modi said India had initiated the BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal to connect small enterprises with knowledge, finance and new markets.
The BRICS Urban Mobility Hub had also been established to facilitate the sharing of best practices among cities, he said.
The PM said BRICS’ wider objective was to ensure that the benefits of solutions developed within the grouping were not restricted to its members.
“Building on these four pillars, through BRICS we have sought to promote inclusive global growth,” he said.

“We believe that the benefits of solutions developed within BRICS should not remain confined to BRICS alone. They should be made adaptable and accessible to meet the needs of the Global South,” PM Modi said.
He also linked India’s approach to development with its civilisational view of the environment, saying nature had traditionally been accorded the status of a mother.

“In Indian civilisation, nature has been accorded the status of a mother,” the PM said. “For centuries, we have believed that development and the environment are not alternatives to each other, but are complementary.”
He said BRICS had similarly emphasised the need to strike a balance between human development and the environment.
“This is the foundation of Sustainability. It is also our responsibility towards future generations,” PM Modi said.
He said the grouping had made progress on several fronts.

For Smart Grids and Energy Storage, BRICS had established the BRICS Digital Centre of Excellence, which, the PM said, would help make clean-energy systems more reliable, efficient and accessible.

The Centres of Excellence for Agro-Ecology and Regenerative Agriculture would connect traditional knowledge with modern science, he said.
PM Modi said principles developed for community-based climate adaptation would make indigenous knowledge an important foundation for climate action.

He said these initiatives were part of BRICS’ effort to promote inclusive growth and make cooperation within the grouping relevant to countries beyond its membership.
The PM again stressed that solutions emerging from BRICS should be adaptable to the needs of the wider Global South rather than remaining confined to the bloc.

He said the growing confidence of Global South countries in BRICS was rooted in a sense of participation rather than one-way policymaking.
“Their voices are heard. Their experiences are respected. And solutions are developed not for them, but together with them,” PM Modi said.
He said the diversity of the grouping should remain central to its identity and cooperation should drive its future.

“May our diversity remain our identity, our cooperation become our inspiration, and our progress serve the cause of all humanity,” the PM said.

Mumbai, Sep 13: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ushered in a new era of “politics of performance” by moving India away from the scourges of corruption, casteism and dynastic politics.

Addressing a press conference to announce the ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’ from September 17 to October 17 to mark Modi’s birthday and 25 years of Modi rule in Gujarat and Centre, Shah said the PM has freed the country from policy paralysis, coalition compulsions and poor decision-making.

“Before 2014, Indian politics was suffering from three scourges — corruption, casteism and dynastic politics. In the political era from 2014 to 2026, these three have ended and the people have moved the country towards a politics of performance,” he said.

The campaign, whose slogan is “Jan Seva Hi Prabhu Seva” (public service is service to God), will seek to promote people’s participation in the goal of making India a developed country by 2047, he said.

Shah said the last 25 years had witnessed “epoch-making” changes in Gujarat and the country, including in infrastructure and poverty reduction. He said the political system had also undergone a fundamental transformation.

“PM Modi has freed the country from policy paralysis, coalition compulsions and poor decision-making,” he said.

Shah said the BJP and its allies and people across the country will jointly organise the month-long campaign from September 17, Modi’s birthday.

He said the BJP had previously celebrated Modi’s birthday as ‘Seva Saptah’ from September 17 to October 2, and in some places for a week, but this year’s celebrations will be special as Modi will complete 25 years in public office as chief minister and prime minister on October 7.

“Very few leaders in this country have a record of serving the people continuously for 25 years as chief minister of a state and prime minister of the country,” Shah said, adding that Modi had repeatedly won elections and kept the public service and welfare of the state and nation going continuously for 25 years.

The campaign will have 12 major programmes, including blood donation and lamp-lighting drives, painting and speech competitions for young people, beneficiary interactions, motorcycle yatras between Vadnagar, Modi’s birthplace in Gujarat, and Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, and events aimed at ensuring saturation of government welfare schemes.

It will also feature ‘Seva Ke Rang Rashtra Ke Sang’, described by Shah as the world’s largest human-group rangoli initiative and a ‘Seva First Innovation Challenge’ involving five regional innovation competitions, he said.

Shah said the country had witnessed a strong foreign and defence policy based on the principle of “India First”, while the economy had moved from being counted among the ‘Fragile Five’ to the top five globally. He also cited a 7.8 per cent GDP growth in the first quarter as evidence of India’s strong economic performance.

He credited GST, the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile trinity, banking reforms, FDI, the Production Linked Incentive scheme and ‘Make in India’ with strengthening the country’s economy and manufacturing capabilities.

Shah said 25 crore people had been brought out of poverty and listed welfare measures, including free foodgrains to 81 crore people, 58 crore bank accounts, healthcare cover of up to Rs 5 lakh for 44 crore people, tap water connections to 16 crore households, Rs 6,000 annually under PM-Kisan to 13 crore farmers and toilets in 13 crore households.

He also cited Ujjwala gas connections, housing and women’s self-help groups as examples of welfare initiatives.

India’s infrastructure had also undergone rapid expansion, with the development of roads, railways, airports, Metros, ports, waterways and digital infrastructure. Shah said the number of airports had risen from around 75 to 150 and talked about dedicated freight corridors, Vande Bharat trains and improved border connectivity.

He highlighted the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam providing for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures, and cited women’s participation in the armed forces, police, science, startups, drones and sports.

The Union minister said the government had also given greater importance to Indian languages, adopted a strong response to terror attacks and resolved issues such as Article 370, Left-wing extremism and security challenges in the Northeast.

He said surgical strikes, air strikes and Operation Sindoor had established a policy of “zero tolerance” towards terrorism.

The Union minister said projects such as the Ayodhya Ram temple, Kashi Vishwanath Dham, Mahakal Lok and the redevelopment of Kedarnath reflected the government’s efforts to develop centres of faith.

He also cited the new Parliament building, Sengol (historic golden sceptre), Chandrayaan-3, Aditya-L1, One Rank One Pension and the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff among the government’s achievements.

On foreign policy, Shah said India’s standing in the world had risen significantly, citing Vaccine Maitri, trade agreements and India’s leadership of the G20 and BRICS.

“Whatever the problem in the world, the view of India’s Prime Minister matters today,” he said.

He said Modi had become the first prime minister in six decades to be elected three times after the early years following Independence, calling it an indication of his 25-year political record.