My colleague in the Union Cabinet, Shri Amit Shah, Interpol President Shri Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi, Interpol Secretary General Shri Jurgen Stock, Director of CBI Shri S.K. Jaiswal, Distinguished Delegates and Participants.
I extend a warm welcome to everyone for the 90th INTERPOL General Assembly. It is great to have you here at a time that is significant for both India and the INTERPOL. India is celebrating 75 years of independence in 2022. It is a celebration of our people, culture and achievements. It is a time for looking back at where we came from. And also for looking ahead at where we want to go. The INTERPOL is also approaching a historic milestone. In 2023, INTERPOL will be celebrating 100 years of its founding. This is a good time to rejoice and reflect. Learn from setbacks, celebrate victories, and then, look to the future with hope.
Friends,
The concept of INTERPOL finds a connect with various aspects of Indian philosophy. The motto of the INTERPOL is: connecting police for a safer world. Many of you may have heard of the Vedas as one of the world’s oldest scriptures. One of the verses in the Vedas says: आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः It means, let noble thoughts come from all directions. This is a call for universal cooperation to make the world a better place. There is a unique global outlook in India’s soul. This is why: India is one of the top contributors in sending brave men and women to the United Nations Peacekeeping operations. Even before our own independence, we made sacrifices to make the world a better place. Thousands of Indians fought and died in the world wars. From climate targets to COVID vaccines, India has shown willingness to take the lead in any kind of crisis. And now, at a time when nations and societies are becoming inward-looking, India calls for more, not less, international cooperation. Global cooperation for local welfare – is our call.
Friends,
The philosophy of law enforcement is best explained by Chanakya, the ancient Indian philosopher. आन्वीक्षकी त्रयी वार्तानां योग-क्षेम साधनो दण्डः। तस्य नीतिः दण्डनीतिः; अलब्धलाभार्था, लब्धपरिरक्षणी, रक्षितविवर्धनी, वृद्धस्य तीर्थेषु प्रतिपादनी च । It means, the material and spiritual welfare of a society is through law enforcement. Law enforcement, according to Chanakya, helps in gaining what we do not have, protecting what we have, increasing what we have protected, and distributing it to the most deserving. This is an inclusive view of law enforcement. Police forces across the world are not just protecting people, but are furthering social welfare. They are also at the frontline of society’s response to any crisis. It was most visible during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across the world, police personnel put their own lives at risk to help people out. Many of them even made the ultimate sacrifice in service of the people. I pay my respects to them. Even if the world comes to a halt, the responsibility of keeping it safe does not go away. The INTERPOL remained functional 24 by 7 even during the pandemic.
Friends,
India’s diversity and scale are hard to imagine for those who have not experienced it. It is home to the highest mountain ranges, one of the driest deserts, some of the thickest forests, and many of the world’s most densely populated cities. India packs the features of continents in just one country. For example, India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, has a population close to that of Brazil. Our capital, Delhi, has more people than the whole of Sweden.
Friends,
The Indian police at the federal and state levels, cooperate to implement more than 900 national and around ten thousand state laws. Add to this, the diversity of India’s society. People from all the major religions of the world live here. There are hundreds of languages and dialects spoken. Massive festivals attract millions of devotees. For example, Kumbh Mela, the largest and longest spiritual mass gathering in the world, had 240 million pilgrims. With all this, our police forces work while respecting the diversity and rights of the people promised by the Constitution. They not only protect the people but also serve our democracy. Take the scale of India’s free, fair and massive elections. Elections involve arrangements for around 900 million electors. This is close to the population of North and South American continents taken together. About 2.3 million police personnel are deployed to help with the elections. In upholding diversity and democracy, India is a case study for the world.
Friends,
Over the last 99 years, the INTERPOL has connected police organizations globally across 195 countries. This is despite differences in legal frameworks, systems and languages. In recognition of this, a commemorative stamp and coin have been released today.
Friends,
Despite all the past successes, today, I want to remind the world about a few things. There are many harmful globalised threats that the world faces. Terrorism, corruption, drug trafficking, poaching and organised crime. The pace of change of these dangers is faster than earlier. When threats are global, the response cannot be just local! It is high time that the world comes together to defeat these threats.
Friends,
India has been combating trans-national terrorism for several decades. Long before the world woke up to it, we knew the price of safety and security. Thousands of our people made the ultimate sacrifice in this fight. But it is no longer enough that terrorism is fought only in the physical space. It is now spreading its presence through online radicalization and cyber threats. At the click of a button, an attack can be executed or systems can be brought to their knees. Each nation is working on strategies against them. But what we do within our borders is no longer enough. There is a need to further develop international strategies. Establishment of early detection and warning systems, protecting transportation services, security for communication infrastructure, security for critical infrastructure, technical and technological assistance, intelligence exchange, many of these things need to be taken to a new level.
Friends,
Some of you may be thinking why I spoke of corruption as a dangerous threat. Corruption and financial crimes have harmed the welfare of the citizens of many countries. The corrupt find a way to park the proceeds of crime in different parts of the world. This money belongs to the citizens of the country from which they have been taken. Often, this has been taken from some of the poorest people in the world. Further, it is such money that is pushed into evil activities. This is one of the major sources of terror funding. From illegal drugs that destroy young lives to human trafficking, from weakening democracies to the sale of illegal arms, this dirty money funds many destructive enterprises. Yes, there are diverse legal and procedural frameworks to deal with them. However, there is a need for the global community to work even faster to eliminate safe havens. There can be no safe havens for the corrupt, terrorists, drug cartels, poaching gangs or organized crime. Such crimes against people in one place are crimes against everyone, crimes against humanity. Further, these not only harm our present but also impact our future generations. Police and law enforcement agencies need to devise procedures and protocols to increase cooperation. INTERPOL can help by speeding up Red Corner Notices for fugitive offenders.
Friends,
A safe and secure world is our shared responsibility. When the forces of good cooperate, the forces of crime cannot operate.
Friends,
Before I conclude, I have an appeal to all the guests. Do consider visiting the National Police Memorial and National War Memorial in New Delhi. You can pay respects to the heroes who laid down their lives to keep India safe. These were men and women, just like many of you, ready to do anything for their nation.
Friends,
Let communication, collaboration and cooperation defeat crime, corruption and terrorism. I hope the 90th INTERPOL General Assembly proves to be an effective and successful platform for this. Once again, I welcome you all to this important programme.
Thank you.
