Johannesburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has touched the sore spot of the countries of the Global South, which have been the most neglected in the world till now. PM Modi had already resolved to make India the voice of the Global South, but during the G-20 summit held in New Delhi in November 2023, India won everyone’s heart by inviting the countries of the Global South and raising their voice in front of the whole world. Since then, India has emerged as the biggest voice of the countries of the Global South. This is the reason why the countries of the Global South are also saluting this work of PM Modi. India is the first country in the world that has not only strongly put forward the problems of the Global South on the world’s mind, but has also drawn the attention of the whole world for its commitment to solve it.
That is why South Africa, the largest country in the Global South, has praised India and PM Modi. South Africa’s Primary Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has said that cooperation between South Africa and India on multilateral forums has played an important role in strengthening the voice of the ‘Global South’ i.e. underdeveloped countries. Gwarube, who attended the celebrations related to India’s 78th Independence Day organized by the Indian High Commission in Pretoria on Thursday as the chief guest, said, “We have found in South Africa a partner in the form of India, which wishes to promote the vision and interests of the Global South.
India-South Africa relations are the strongest in 30 years
We must work more closely together to establish ourselves in an equitable global order. The minister said that bilateral relations between India and South Africa have matured into a strategic partnership over 30 years, both countries have made efforts to reshape diplomatic relations after a gap of almost four decades and India led the international fight against apartheid in the United Nations. He said, “For over three decades, the two countries have worked together to promote economic development, cultural ties and people-to-people relations.
We have cooperated in various areas from trade and investment to higher education, skill development and even healthcare.” Referring to the Indian government’s plans to make India a developed country by 2047, India’s High Commissioner to South Africa Prabhat Kumar said, “India will become a US$ 32 trillion economy in the next 25 years with an average annual GDP growth rate of 7.6 per cent.
