PM Modi subtly hints at China; says India supports global action to avert future pandemics

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 12 addressed the G7 virtual summit in Cornwall and called for global unity, leadership, and solidarity. During the participation in the first Outreach Session of the G7 Summit, PM Modi gave the Mantra of "One Earth, One Health" to effectively deal with the coronavirus pandemic globally. He also subtly hinted at China and emphasised the special responsibility of democratic and transparent societies to prevent future pandemics. 

COVID-19 origin debate 

With the world reeling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the clamour demanding a probe into the virus's origins seems to be growing with each passing day as new evidence and chronological information continues to surface.

Weighing in on the WHO-convened global study to trace the origin of COVID-19, India has advocated next phase studies to reach "robust conclusions". 

It is worth mentioning that WHO and Chinese experts issued the first report in March that laid out four hypotheses about how the pandemic emerged. The joint team said the most likely scenario was that the coronavirus jumped into people from bats via an intermediary animal, and the prospect that it erupted from a laboratory was deemed extremely unlikely. However, another report issued on March 20 claimed that a leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology was an "extremely unlikely" scenario. 

Interestingly, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus raised concerns about data being withheld from the team and said that the lab leak theory required "further investigation". As questions continue to be raised over the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US and Britain have also demanded the WHO to take a deeper look into the possible origins of COVID-19, including a new visit to China where the first human infections were detected. The demand to probe COVID-19 origin intensified after an undisclosed and controversial Wall Street report propelled conspiracies claiming three researchers from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) sought hospital care after they fell sick in November 2019.

PM Modi addresses G7 summit 

Meanwhile, during the G7 session, PM Modi highlighted India's ‘whole of society’ approach to fight the pandemic, synergising the efforts of all levels of the government, industry and civil society. He also explained India’s successful use of open-source digital tools for contact tracing and vaccine management and conveyed India's willingness to share its experience and expertise with other developing countries. Prime Minister further committed India's support for collective endeavours to improve global health governance. 

He sought the G7's support for the proposal moved at the WTO by India and South Africa, for a TRIPS waiver on COVID related technologies. PM advised the USA to keep raw material supplies open. PM Modi will participate in the final day of the G7 Summit on Sunday and will speak in two sessions.

(Image: AP/PTI)