India at UN: India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, asserted that New Delhi does not need to be told what to do on democracy. Her statement came on Thursday after she assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of December.
On December 1, India was elected to lead the 15-member UN Security Council for the month of December. During this time, India will hold major conferences on multilateralism reform and terrorism prevention.
The presidency will also end India's two-year tenure as an elected non-permanent member of the powerful UN organ. Kamboj, the first female Permanent Representative of India to the UN, will occupy the president's seat at the horse-shoe table.
On the first day of India's presidency, she talked about democracy and freedom of the press in India while addressing reporters in the UN headquarters on the monthly programme of work.
Kamboj's remarks on democracy and freedom of press in India
"I would like to say that, we don't need to be told what to do on democracy. India is perhaps the most ancient civilization in the world as all of you know. In India, democracy had roots going back to 2500 years, we were always a democracy. Coming down to very recent times, we have all the pillars of democracy that are intact - legislature, executive, judiciary and the fourth estate, the press. And a very vibrant social media. So the country is the world's largest democracy," she added.
Referring to the General elections, she further stated that India conducts the world's largest democratic exercise after every five years.
"Everyone is free to say as they wish and please and that is how our country functions. It's rapidly reforming, transforming and changing. And the trajectory has been very impressive. And I don't have to say this, you don't have to listen to me. Others are saying this," Kamboj remarked.
(With inputs from PTI)
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