In joint editorial, Modi, Obama say they'll work together for a better world

In a joint editorial in The Washington Post titled ‘A renewed US-India partnership for the 21st century’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama said that the two countries want to move forward together for a better world. “Chalein Saath Saath,” was key to bilateral ties they said. “The promise of a better tomorrow is not solely for Indians and Americans: It also beckons us to move forward together for a better world. This is the central premise of our defining partnership for the 21st century. Forward together we go — chalein saath saath,” Modi and Obama said in the editorial. [caption id=“attachment_1737779” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Narendra Modi and Barack Obama. Ibnlive[/caption] The two leaders said that India and US could ensure world peace by working hand-in-hand. “As global partners, we are committed to enhancing our homeland security by sharing intelligence, through counterterrorism and law-enforcement cooperation, while we jointly work to maintain freedom of navigation and lawful commerce across the seas,” the editorial said_._ While the two leaders said that the advent of the new government in India would be an opportunity to broaden the horizon of the bilateral ties, they said that the ’true potential’ of the relationship between the two countries was yet to be reached. Speaking of the roots on which the relationship between the two countries was based, they said:  “Ties between the United States and India are rooted in the shared desire of our citizens for justice and equality. When Swami Vivekananda presented Hinduism as a world religion, he did so at the 1893 World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago. When Martin Luther King Jr. sought to end discrimination and prejudice against African Americans, he was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolent teachings. Gandhiji himself drew upon the writings of Henry David Thoreau.” The two nation’s leaders also said that the ties were not just confined to the federal level but also included local levels. “After many years of growing cooperation since, on any given day, our students work together on research projects, our scientists develop cutting-edge technology and senior officials consult closely on global issues. Our militaries conduct joint exercises in air, on land and at sea, and our space programs engage in unprecedented areas of cooperation, leading us from Earth to Mars. And in this partnership, the Indian American community has been a vibrant, living bridge between us. Its success has been the truest reflection of the vitality of our people, the value of America’s open society and the strength of what we can do when we join together,” they said. The two countries, Modi and Obama said, plan to work together on several fronts including space research and Modi’s pet project — cleaning of the river Ganga. “An immediate area of concrete support is the ‘Clean India’ campaign, where we will leverage private and civil society innovation, expertise and technology to improve sanitation and hygiene throughout India,” they said. Read the full editorial here.