New Delhi [India], March 28 (ANI): The Indian Minorities Federation (IMF) hosted a 'Sadbhavana Iftar' at the residence of Rajya Sabha MP and IMF Convener Satnam Singh Sandhu in New Delhi, bringing together ambassadors from 19 Muslim-majority nations to celebrate the spirit of Ramadan. The gathering reinforced India's long-standing ties with the Islamic world, with diplomats acknowledging Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role in fostering strategic, economic, and cultural partnerships with Muslim nations.

The event was attended by ambassadors and diplomats from Somalia, Morocco, Afghanistan, Syria, Gambia, Mali, Bangladesh, Sudan, Djibouti, Algeria, Malawi, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Iraq, Cote d'Ivoire, Tanzania, Nigeria, Iran, and the UAE. Also present were Islamic scholars, religious leaders, intellectuals, and social reformers, including Majid Alnekhailawi, Maulana Syed Kalbe Rushaid Rizvi, Haji Syed Salman Chishty, and IMF co-founder Himani Sood. Before breaking their fast, attendees offered prayers for peace, harmony, and prosperity in India and across the world.

Addressing the gathering, ambassadors from Muslim-majority nations highlighted the strong ties India shares with the Islamic world, emphasising how these relationships have deepened under PM Modi's leadership over the past decade. They noted India's growing engagement with South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, particularly in strengthening security and economic cooperation. 'India's engagement with the Gulf region, which supplies over 60 per cent of its crude oil, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) nations, with which bilateral trade exceeds USD 200 billion, has become more robust and multifaceted under PM Modi's leadership in the past 10 years,' they stated. They further acknowledged India's increasing diplomatic presence in global affairs, with PM Modi receiving the highest civilian honours from several Muslim-majority countries.

The ambassadors highlighted India's consistent stance in promoting peace and stability in global conflicts involving Muslim nations. They noted that 'India has long positioned itself as a strong advocate for peace, stability, and dialogue in global conflicts involving the Muslim world, from Palestine to Afghanistan.' They emphasised India's support for a two-state solution for Palestine and humanitarian aid to Gaza. They also commended India's role in Afghanistan, stating, 'India has played a constructive role by investing in critical infrastructure, education, and healthcare to improve the lives of the Afghan people.' The ambassadors pointed out that India has never engaged in military aggression against any Muslim-majority country and has upheld diplomacy as a guiding principle in its foreign policy.

Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu, who hosted the Iftar, underscored India's tradition of coexistence and inclusivity, stating, 'Ramadan is not just a religious observance; it is a time for reflection, generosity, and community bonding--a sentiment that India deeply values and upholds. India has always been a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious society, where every faith has co-existed in harmony for ages. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has further strengthened this spirit of oneness and brotherhood amongst Indians over the past decade by ensuring the progress of every community irrespective of any discrimination through his 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' mantra, reflecting India's inclusive ethos.'

Ambassadors also spoke about India's growing role in the Global South and its contributions to developing nations. Sudan's Education Counsellor, Mohamed Ali Fazari, said, 'India is championing the cause of the Global South along with other developing and developed countries. India is a leading country in the world in terms of helping many other nations across the world. The relationship between India and African nations has strengthened over the years. We have seen how India helped many countries during the Covid-19 pandemic.'

Edson Moyo, Minister Plenipotentiary of Zimbabwe, praised India's technological advancements and its impact on global development. 'India and Zimbabwe share strong bilateral ties. India has always stood by Zimbabwe. We have focused on economic diplomacy and continued to move together. Artificial intelligence is one new area where India is moving forward rapidly. India has become the fastest developing country in the world. India can help in technology transfer. We have a lot to learn from the social sector and particularly the IT sector in India. India's role as a technology transfer hub is very important. We are very excited to learn about the UPI payment system in India; it indeed is a great experience to pay by UPI. You don't have to carry cash; everything is done electronically. We are also working to introduce a UPI-like system in our country. We are looking to establish more collaborations with India.'

High Commissioner of Gambia, Mustapha Jawara, credited India's leadership in global peace efforts and its role in international diplomacy. 'During Covid, India donated Gambia lots of vaccines, and that saved so many lives. We are grateful to the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and his government for that.' He added, 'He (PM Modi) is the leader of the Global South. I will say that the Prime Minister (Modi) is the best of the best. In the Global South, we love him. He is a global leader. He has shown this during the G20, and we in the Global South are proud of him for his role. It's because of him, our Continent, Africa, has a representation in the G20. So we are grateful for that. He is championing our rights at all levels. So we have nothing but to thank him.' On India's commitment to peaceful coexistence, he remarked, 'India is an example as the second-largest Muslim country as far as I know. Me as a Muslim, has been invited to a function by a non-Muslim. That is a testament to that.' He also praised India's diplomatic efforts, stating, 'Because of India, there is peace in the world. If it were not India and the Prime Minister (Modi), the issue between Russia and Ukraine would have gone to another level.'

Cultural Counsellor of Iran, Fariduddin Faridasr, emphasised the cultural and historical ties between India and Iran, saying, 'What is common between India and Iran is that Prime Ministers of both the nations are connected to their soil, rooted in their culture, heritage and value system. India and Iran shared strong bilateral ties in the past and they will continue to strengthen it further in future as well. Due to these shared beliefs of PMs of both the nations, bilateral relations between India and Iran will be strengthened further. Supremacy of law is the soul of secularism, and India has that unique power of secularism which is one amongst the many reasons that India will progress further as it gives respect and love to people from all communities equally.'

A representative from Iraq attending the event also echoed the sentiment that India remains committed to inclusive development. 'India is a multi-cultural, multi-religion and multi-community nation, but under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the whole country is united to work for one cause of Viksit Bharat. The relationship between India and Iraq is growing in all the fields. The minority communities have been looked after with care and affection in India.' (ANI)