We must keep humanism at the core of our policies: Prime Minister Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called for keeping humanism at the core of policies adding that the discussions pertaining to global growth cannot happen only between a few calling for a bigger table and broader agendas. "Discussions on global growth cannot happen only between a few. The table must be bigger. The agenda must be broader. Growth patterns must follow a human-centric approach. And, be in harmony with our surroundings," PM Modi said while speaking at the India-Japan Samwad.

"In the past, humanity often took the path of confrontation instead of collaboration. From Imperialism to the World Wars. From the arms race to the space race. We had dialogues but they were aimed at pulling others down. Now, let us rise together... We must keep humanism at the core of our policies. We must make harmonious co-existence with nature as the central pillar of our existence," the Prime Minister added. Earlier in his speech, he proposed a library for archiving Buddhist literature, Prime Minister Modi said that the library would be a platform for research and dialogue, "a true Samwad between human beings, between societies and between man and nature. Its research mandate will also include examining how the Buddhist message can guide our modern world against contemporary challenges."

"Samwad should be one that spreads the spirit of positivity, unity and compassion across our planet. That too, at a time when we need it the most. This is the first Samvad of a new decade -- it is happening at a critical moment of human history. Our actions today will shape the discourse in the coming times," PM Modi said. Prime Minister Modi called this decade to be about nurturing young minds who will add value to humanity in the future.

"This decade and beyond will belong to the societies that play a premium on learning and innovating together. This decade will be about nurturing bright young minds, who will add value to humanity in the times to come. Learning should be such that furthers innovation. After all, innovation is the cornerstone of human empowerment," he said.

The first conference, Samvad-I, was held in 2015 at Bodh Gaya. During Samvad I, leading scholars, religious leaders, academics, and political personalities had exchanged views on conflict avoidance and environmental consciousness.