PM Modi may focus on terror, other global issues at UNGA speech today

In the US since Saturday last, Modi has held a number of multi-lateral and bilateral engagements and also interacted with top business honchos urging them to invest in India in a changed atmosphere where the second generation reforms have been unveiled.

Modi is expected to make a strong pitch on Pakistan's role vis-a-vis terror menace and climate change while he may speak in certain details on abrogation of the Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and highlight it as internal matter of India.

Apart from Kashmir, Alyssa Ayres, senior Fellow for India, Pakistan and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, said Prime Minister Modi's address may cover a wide range of India's other ambitions including maritime and space.

'Space has been an important issue for India certainly in the past couple of decades that are important to India globally,' she told a private television channel.

'Any Indian leader will feel obligated to give a reply given the importance Pakistan has given to it. But I do think India's international ambitions are much larger than the very tough issue of Pakistan," she further said.

Setting the tone of Prime Minister's UNGA speech, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has on Wednesday said "there are deep vested interests" which are resisting the change in Jammu and Kashmir enforced by the Modi government since Aug 5.

Sharing stage with US President Donald Trump and a host of American lawmakers including from Republican and Democratic parties at Houston on September 22, Mr Modi has said back home everything is fine.

The Prime Minister has asserted that everything is okay in the country and repeated the phrase in number of Indian languages including Punjabi, Gujarati, Telugu, Bangla and Hindi.

'We are changing ourselves and challenging ourselves....We are aiming high and achieving higher'.

In order to showcase India as an attractive destination for doing business in front of global world leaders, Prime Minister held a Round Table meet and also held separate meetings with some top business honchos.

Modi told global business honchos and industry captains that he will "personally act as a bridge" to resolve bottlenecks and other hindrances for foreign companies to make investment in India.

'Your rational ways and our human values can show the path which the world is looking for. And if there is any gap anywhere; I will personally act as a bridge," said Mr Modi at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum. 

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