It looks world has started taking India seriously especially when it comes to fighting terrorism. This time also during his visit to Brussels Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly pitched for resumption of talks on a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and other instruments to combat the common challenge of terrorism during his meeting with Belgian counterpart Charles Michel. Modi’s visit comes days after a series of terror attacks in the Belgian capital that left over 30 people dead. The two leaders spoke on whole spectrum of bilateral ties. Referring to various partnership possibilities between the two countries, Modi said Belgian businesses can make their global supply chains more cost effective by manufacturing in India clearly an indication to make a reality his much cherished dream of ‘Make in India’. He invited Belgian government and companies to pro-actively associate with India’s ambitious projects including ‘Digital India’, ‘Start Up India’ and ‘Skill India’, asserting that combination of Belgian capacities and India’s economic growth can produce promising opportunities for businesses on both sides. The Prime Minister also laid a wreath at Maalbeek Metro Station in the Belgian capital where a suicide bomber blew him up killing scores of passengers, including Raghavendran Ganeshan, an Infosys employee from Bengaluru. Tragedies apart from his Madison Avenue speech in US to conveying condolences in Brussels, Modi has emerged stronger in world fora. This is evident from the way prominent members of the European Parliament saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi can be European Union’s “major ally” in the global war against terror and should be proactively engaged as India has the “first-hand knowledge” of dealing with such issues. The EU members said, the Union should engage Indian decision makers-led by Modi in a proactive dialogue and focus on overlapping interests, including maritime security, terrorism, space and cyber defence. This is what India has been demanding from world powers after the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. Today India is being heard and world wants to learn lot from its experience in fighting single handedly Islamic extremism and keep the economic pace going forward which in itself is a big complement for the Indian resilience and determination to come back.
