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U.N. Security Council without India is an anachronism, says Tony Blair

— Photo: AP

The former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, speaks at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: Pitching for a greater role for New Delhi in world affairs, the former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, on Saturday termed an “anachronism” the U.N. Security Council without India as a permanent member.

“A UNSC without India as a permanent member is an anachronism. An IMF or a World Bank without a proper role for India will no longer do,” Mr. Blair said, addressing the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here.

However, he sounded a note of caution saying that “with power comes responsibility” and India could have people knocking at her doors not to seek opinions, but to hear answers.

“But, beware one thing: with the power will come the responsibility. Of a sudden, you will find the expectation that you will, in partnership with others, lead the world; so you will be able to solve its problems.

“It is an exciting prospect, but also a daunting one. Ask America, or increasingly, China,” he said.

The Labour Party leader was optimistic that the world’s largest democracy, which has “come so far” over the last 60 years, has a “spring in its step” and would rise to the challenge.

“The poverty for millions remains. But those that have escaped it, and can lead others to do so, those who here and around the world are evidence of the dynamism, enterprise and ingenuity of the Indian people, show what the true spirit of India can do.

“Such a spirit will design your future. And that future will shine bright,” Mr. Blair said.

At an interactive session, Mr. Blair said the Iraq war was not responsible for growth in terrorism and the thought came from within Islam and its culture and had to be dealt within that religion.

He said terrorism was one global movement based on a “perversion” in Islam.

“We have to stop believing that we have created it or sustained it. September 11 happened before the Iraq war or Afghanistan happened,” he said. “This is a worldwide movement, its roots are deep and it has been growing for a lot of time,” he said, responding to a comment that terrorism had grown worldwide after the invasion of Iraq.

“We have to take out all this notion that it is caused by us. It is not. It comes from within that religion, culture and in the end it can be uprooted only from within that religion and culture,” said Mr. Blair, who backed U.S. President George W. Bush on Iraq invasion.

He underscored the need to partner moderate voice within Islam to deal with terrorism. — PTI

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