Cardinal George Alencherry Archbishop Andrews Thazhath Archbishop Kuriakose Bharanikulangara Archbishop Anil Couto Shri Arun Jaitley, Dr. Najma Heptulla, Shri P.J. Kurien, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha Monseigneur Sebastian Vadakumpadan

PM Modi at National Celebration of Elevation to Sainthood of Elias Chavara n Mother Euphrasia (1)

I am delighted to participate in this function to celebrate the elevation to sainthood of two great saints of Kerala - Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Saint Euphresia. The whole country is proud of their recognition. Their elevation was preceded by that of Saint Alphonsa, who also hailed from Kerala.

The life and deeds of Saint Chavara and Saint Euphresia are an inspiration not only to the Christian community, but to humanity as a whole. They are shining examples of dedication to God through selfless service for the betterment of mankind.

Saint Chavara was a man of prayer and also a social reformer. In an era when access to education was limited, he stressed that every church should have a school. He thus opened the doors of education to people from all sections of society.

Few outside Kerala know that he started a Sanskrit school, and also a printing press. His contribution towards women’s empowerment was also noteworthy.

Saint Euphrasia was a mystic who dedicated her life to prayer and devotion to God.

Both these saints dedicated their life to God through service of fellow beings. The ancient Indian saying: “आत्मानो मोक्षार्थम् जगत हितायाचा” – welfare of the world is the way to moksha (salvation) – explains their life.

Friends,

Spiritualism is rooted in India`s heritage. Indian saints and Greek sages had intellectual and spiritual exchanges thousands of years back. India’s openness to new ideas is manifest in the Rig Veda: आनो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides. This philosophy has guided our intellectual discourse since time immemorial. Mother India gave birth to many religious and spiritual streams. Some of them have even travelled beyond Indian borders.

The tradition of welcoming, respecting and honouring all faiths is as old as India itself. As Swami Vivekananda said: We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true.

What Swami Vivekananda had said a century ago holds good and will, for ever, not only for this nation but also for this government or for that matter any government in India, run by any political party. This principle of equal respect and treatment for all faiths has been a part of India`s ethos for thousands of years. And that is how it became integral to the Constitution of India. Our Constitution did not evolve in a vacuum. It has roots in the ancient cultural traditions of India.

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore had inspired us to dream of a land where the mind is without fear and the head is held high. It is that heaven of freedom we are duty bound to create and preserve. We believe that there is truth in every religion. एकम सत विप्र बहुधा वदन्ति

Friends,

Let me now come to the issue which is central and critical for peace and harmony in the contemporary world. The world is increasingly witnessing division and hostility on religious lines. This has become a matter of global concern. In this context the ancient Indian plea of mutual respect for all faiths is now beginning to manifest in global discourse.

This long felt need and urge for mutually respectful relations led to the interfaith conference on `Faith in Human Rights` at the Hague on tenth December, 2008. This was coincidentally also the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations.

Religious leaders representing every major world religion - Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Baha`i Faith, Buddhism, Islam, Taoism and indigenous religions met, discussed and pledged to uphold the Universal Declaration and of freedom of religion or belief.

In their historic declaration, this is how they defined what constitutes freedom of faith and how it is to be safeguarded.

We consider the freedom to have, to retain, and to adopt, a religion or belief, is a personal choice of a citizen.

The world is at cross roads which, if not crossed properly, can throw us back to the dark days of bigotry, fanaticism and bloodshed. This harmonious convergence among religions could not be achieved even when the world entered the third millennium. And now it has been. This shows that the rest of the world too is evolving along the lines of ancient India.

Speaking for India, and for my government, I declare that my government stands by every word of the above declaration. My government will ensure that there is complete freedom of faith and that everyone has the undeniable right to retain or adopt the religion of his or her choice without coercion or undue influence. My government will not allow any religious group, belonging to the majority or the minority, to incite hatred against others, overtly or covertly. Mine will be a government that gives equal respect to all religions.

India is the land of Buddha and Gandhi. Equal respect for all religions must be in the DNA of every Indian. We cannot accept violence against any religion on any pretext and I strongly condemn such violence. My government will act strongly in this regard.

With this commitment, I appeal to all religious groups to act with restraint, mutual respect, and tolerance in the true spirit of this ancient nation which is manifest in our Constitution and is in line with the Hague Declaration.

Friends,

I have a vision of a Modern India. I have embarked on a huge mission to convert that vision into reality. My mantra is Development - सबका साथ, सबका विकास.

In simple terms it means food on every table, every child in school, a job for everybody and a house with toilet and electricity for every family. This will make India proud. We can achieve this through unity. Unity strengthens us. Division weakens us. I sincerely request all Indians, and all of you present here to support me in this huge task.

Let the elevation to sainthood of Saint Chavara and Saint Euphrasia, and their noble deeds inspire us:

-to maximize our inner strength -to use that strength for transforming society through selfless service -to fulfil our collective vision of a developed and modern India.

THANK YOU.

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Bharat is recognized globally as one of the fastest-growing emerging economies: PM Modi
June 15, 2025

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the President for personally coming to the airport to receive me today. I am very thankful to him for organizing such a large roundtable with business leaders. I also sincerely thank him for the positive thoughts he shared about me and our partnership.

Friends,

It is after 23 years that a Prime Minister of Bharat has visited Cyprus. And the very first program is a business roundtable. This signifies how important economic stakeholders are in the relationship between Bharat and Cyprus. I have listened to your views very carefully. I have sensed your commitment to strengthening Bharat-Cyprus economic relations. In your ideas, I have felt not just potential, but resolve. It is clear that there are immense opportunities for our relations to grow further.

Friends,

Cyprus has long been a reliable partner for us, as many of you have also mentioned. Significant investment has come to Bharat from Cyprus. Several Indian companies have also invested in Cyprus and, in a way, view Cyprus as a gateway to Europe. Today, bilateral trade has reached 150 million dollars. But the true potential of our relationship is far greater than this. Most of you are connected with Bharat and have witnessed Bharat’s growth story over the past 11 years. In the last decade, Bharat has become the world’s fifth-largest economy, and we are moving rapidly toward becoming the third-largest economy in the near future. Today, Bharat is recognized globally as one of the fastest-growing emerging economies.

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Friends,

You are well aware that we have undertaken major tax reforms. With GST, the One Nation, One Tax system has been implemented. Corporate tax has been rationalized. Thousands of laws have been decriminalized. Along with "Ease of Doing Business," we have also emphasized "Trust of Doing Business" equally. Today, Bharat has a clear policy and a stable polity. For the first time in six decades, the same government has been elected for a third consecutive term. You are familiar with Bharat’s demographic dividend and talent, which also came up in your discussions. In the past 10 years, Bharat has seen a digital revolution. Financial inclusion has become a global benchmark. Through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), 50% of the world's digital transactions now take place in Bharat. Countries like France have joined this platform, and discussions are underway for Cyprus to join as well—I welcome this.

Bharat is investing over $100 billion annually in the development of futuristic infrastructure. In this year's Budget, we have launched a Manufacturing Mission. Bharat is among the world leaders in manufacturing vaccines, generic medicines, and medical devices. We are also focusing on maritime and port development. Shipbuilding and shipbreaking are being given priority, and a new policy is being introduced for this. The civil aviation sector is growing rapidly. Indian companies have placed new orders for more than a thousand aircraft. Innovation has become a strong pillar of Bharat’s economic strength. Our over 100,000 start-ups are not just dreamers—they are delivering solutions. Among these, 100 have become unicorns. Bharat believes in balancing the economy with ecology, and we are committed to this path. A clean and green future is being built. We are moving rapidly toward our target of 500 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030. We are also accelerating work on green shipping and making Indian Railways 100% carbon-neutral by 2030.

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Our AI Mission, Quantum Mission, Semiconductor Mission, Critical Minerals Mission, and Nuclear Power Mission are becoming the new engines of our growth. I am pleased to know that the Cyprus Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) of Bharat have agreed to collaborate in GIFT City, in my home state of Gujarat. Cyprus is a renowned tourist destination. In Bharat too, we are focusing on destination development and management. Close cooperation between our tour operators can take many forms. There are many such areas where there is immense potential for mutual cooperation.

Friends,

Last month, Bharat and the UK reached an agreement on an ambitious Free Trade Agreement (FTA). We are now committed to concluding the Bharat-EU Free Trade Agreement by the end of this year. The pace of negotiations has picked up, and all of you will certainly benefit from it. I welcome the establishment of the Bharat-Cyprus-Greece Business and Investment Council. This is a very good initiative and can become an important platform for economic cooperation. Friends, the ideas and suggestions you all have shared have been noted by my team. We will develop an action plan and follow up on them. I also extend an invitation for you to visit Bharat. In conclusion, I once again thank the President for taking the time to attend this meeting. I also express my gratitude to the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Investment Cyprus for organizing this roundtable in such a well-coordinated manner. Thank you all very much.