New Delhi: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and initiate peace with Pakistan, stressing that such steps would strengthen India’s position on the global stage.
Speaking on Wednesday at the launch of journalist Shahid Siddiqui’s memoir “I, Witness: India from Nehru to Narendra Modi”, Abdullah referred to recent global diplomatic engagements, including Russian President Vladimir Putin’s talks with former US President Donald Trump and subsequent meetings with European leaders and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Time has come when even our Prime Minister must take steps so India can walk with the world for peace. We must restart SAARC and find a path to reconciliation—for the peace of the entire world. If we cannot sustain this small world with love, the world will leave us behind,” the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.
Founded in 1985, SAARC brings together India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan, and Afghanistan. However, frequent tensions between India and Pakistan have hampered cooperation, and the last SAARC summit was held in November 2014.
Acknowledging the challenges, the 87-year-old leader said, “Only hard steps can save our nation and shape the world,” adding that he prayed for the government to shoulder this responsibility.
Reflecting on the Partition of 1947, Abdullah said it created deep divisions between Hindus and Muslims that still haunt the subcontinent. “Even today, decades after independence, 80 per cent of our people depend on the government to survive. Look at China—once behind us, now ahead in every field because they speak with one voice: one nation, together we survive,” he noted.
Abdullah emphasized that India’s true strength should come not from military or economic might but from “the power of humanity.” “This is not a world of threats. Gandhi remains the light that guides the world,” he said.
The event concluded with a discussion on Siddiqui’s book, where panelists—including senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, and AAP’s Sanjay Singh—praised the author’s commitment to truth and integrity.
Published by Rupa and priced at ₹795, the book is now available in both online and offline stores.
