Nancy Pelosi applauds PM Modi's commitment on climate action

Applauding Narendra Modi's commitment to tackle climate change, US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday said Indian Prime Minister has upheld values of Gandhi by taking on challenge that poses an existential threat to planet.

Nancy Pelosi praises PM Modi

Referring to "commitment" shown by Modi in ensuring that agreement on climate change was finalised, Pelosi said: 

"It was t easy. But it was done". When Modi came to Washington DC to dress a joint session of Congress, Congressional leership met him before speech, she said. "I mentioned about climate crisis and thanked him for his leership, he talked about Mahatma Gandhi and environment," she said at an event at historic Library of Congress organised by Indian Embassy to commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi.

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"He (Modi) told us wher it was water conservation or whatever it is, Gandhi understood worth and respect we h to have for nature," Pelosi said, ding that if Gandhi was alive today, he would have have led movement to take on challenge threatening God's creation: planet earth. "We are called to fight this fight, which is existential threat of our time: really jeopardising health, security, and future of our children and our grandchildren, Pelosi said in her key te dress. In his remarks, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described Pelosi as a political figure who embodies strength of convictions that is so relevant even today.

"Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked at an event at United Nations what it would have been like h Mahatma Gandhi been like born in a free country. We could perhaps take that even furr and ask ourselves what he would vocate today if he was amongst us," he said.

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" answer obviously is t a simple one because Gandhi ji's outlook and thoughts spanned a very bro spectrum of human activity. But to extent we can define it within sharper boundaries, y probably are best captured by 17 sustainable development goals that world's seeks to achieve today," he said. Jaishankar said very idea of an Indian Prime Minister talking of girls' toilets in an international dress was seen as bizarre. elite forgot a famous saying of Gandhi that cleanliness is next only to godliness or that human rights were best delivered in most practical form, access to sanitation, housing, health, education and livelihood, he said.

"Clearly people of India h a different appreciation and conveyed that emphatically when time came. Today, if re is one challenge that Gandhi ji would like us to focus on, that is that of combating climate change," he said.

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Through a mix of policy and vocacy re has been a fundamental shift in way in which India approaches this issue, Jaishankar said, ding that at Paris, it was India's mediation that brought toger different constituencies and interests. Stating that House Speaker has shown commendable leership on a similar set of priorities in US, Jaishankar said, "Your commitment towards clean governance and green development is widely recognised." "Your presence here today underlines impact that life and mess of Mahatma Gandhi has h on your own endeavours from your early youth," he ded. While Gandhi could never travel to US, his work was closely followed re, said Indian ambassor to US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

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US representatives on Gandhi

On occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi, Shringla said both US Senate and House of Representatives have introduced resolutions recalling Gandhi's contribution to mankind, emphasising shared influence of his teachings on human rights, on civil rights leers around world, including Dr Martin Lur King, and highlighting shared values of people of India and US. Shringla thanked Senators Bob Menendez, Ted Cruz, Mark Warner, John Cornyn and Representatives George Holding, Br Sherman, Joe Wilson, Peter King, Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, Frank Pallone and Pete Olson among ors ir valuable co-sponsorship of se resolutions. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney has also introduced a resolution for award of a Congressional Gold Medal to hour Mahatma Gandhi, he said. Jaishankar, on occasion, presented a bust of Mahatma Gandhi to Pelosi. "I will display it with great pride in Speaker's office of capital of United States so that anyone who visits re will see that respect and miration that we have (for Gandhi)," Pelosi said.

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