Not shied from taking tough decisions: PM Modi in Myanmar

NEW DELHI: In his address to the Indian diaspora in Myanmar on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched his government's nation building efforts to realise his vision of a 'New India' free of any kind of discrimination.
"We are not merely reforming India but are transforming India. A new India is being built. An India free from poverty, terrorism, corruption, communalism, casteism is being created," PM Modi said at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon.
The Prime Minister said the BJP-led NDA government has made crucial executive decisions like demonetization, introducing GST and the surgical strike on Pakistan without fear or hesitation.
"We have not shied away from taking decisions that are tough. For us, the nation is bigger than politics," he said.
"People of India have the confidence that India can be transformed and we can break free from some of the evils that entered our systems," he added.
PM Modi also commended the Indian community in Myanmar for contributing to their adoptive country's development while also keeping in touch with their roots. He assured them the Indian government has taken a number of measures for the diaspora.
On a lighter note, the Prime Minister recounted how he'd read somewhere that five Bs are the base of India-Myanmar relations, namely: Buddhism, Business, Bollywood, Bharatnatyam and Burma teak. He then observed, "the most important 'B' is missing here and that 'B' is 'Bharosa' (Trust)."
"People to people ties are the strength of India-Myanmar relations," he remarked.
It is noteworthy that during his 35-minute address, PM Modi did not allude to the Rohingya Muslim crisis. The Myanmar government is facing international censure for the violence against the minority community, and its repercussions are being felt in India too, in the form of illegal Rohingya refugees.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on his first bilateral visit to Myanmar, where he held wide-ranging talks with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi earlier in the day. India and Myanmar signed 11 agreements to cooperate in the fields of maritime security, strengthening democratic institutions in Myanmar, health and information technology.
In his joint statement with Suu Kyi, PM Modi said India shares Myanmar's concerns over "extremist violence" against Rohingya Muslims in the Rakhine state. The two leaders also vowed to combat terror and boost security cooperation.