Jamia richly encapsulates the best of Indian Muslim tradition: UN chief

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Mr. Chancellor, Lt. Gen. M.A. Zaki, Mr. Vice-Chancellor, Najeeb Jung, distinguished guests, faculty members, dear students, ladies and gentlemen, Assalam Alaikum.  Namaskar.

May ya haan aakar bahut khush hoon! [I am so happy to be here.] Thank you for this distinguished recognition. For decades, I have been a student of India.  Now I finally have a degree to prove it! Today you do me and the United Nations a special honour.

In that spirit, I accept this honorary doctorate on behalf of the women and men who serve the United Nations around the world.  Because you have been so kind to recognize me – let me begin by sharing a bit of personal history. My journey in foreign service started right here.

Arrived in New Delhi exactly 40 years ago
I arrived in New Delhi exactly 40 years ago, on my first diplomatic posting.  It was one of the best things that happened to me. Ever since, I have drawn lessons from the proud history of India.  I have learned deeply from your traditions.  I have been inspired by your example. The bonds go deeper, still.  My son was born in India. Years later, my daughter chose to marry an Indian man. The couple produced what I consider to be the world’s finest joint venture between our two countries – my grandson, Jai!

When I am in India, I am at home
For all these reasons, I say:  When I am in India, I am at home. But far more important than India’s role in my family, is India’s role in the family of nations. That is what I want to speak with you about today. Now is the time.  We are in a period of great transition.  New powers are rising.  Technology is shrinking distances.  More and more people are beginning to shape their own destiny, starting with the Arab Spring.  From India, I go to Myanmar where once again new hope and change are taking root.

At the same time, there is unease everywhere I travel.  Worries about economic uncertainties … concerns about corruption … tensions over growing gaps within societies …and questions about whether institutions are up to the task.  The old order is breaking down and we do not yet know the shape of the new. This 21st century mix of change and challenge brings me to India.

You are the world’s largest democracy.  You are an emerging economic leader.  You are a superpower on the information superhighway. You are a beacon for the world – proving that democracy and development are one and the same path.

Backbone
As the world’s third largest troop contributor to UN peacekeeping – you are the backbone of our efforts to prevent further conflict and keep peace worldwide.  You are a co-founder and second-largest contributor to the United Nations Democracy Fund. You are now serving as a crucial member of the UN Security Council, sharing your experiences throughout the Arab Spring.

But beyond that, something else stands out.  I see it all around me today. India is a union of cultures … religions … languages … all coming together within the fabric of tolerance, understanding and collaboration.

Indian Muslim and Jamia
Jamia Millia Islamia University richly encapsulates the best of the Indian Muslim tradition reflecting a true cosmopolitan creed. Yet we know that tolerance is being tested here and around the world.  It is crucial for India to pass those tests – not only for the country but for our world in which your profile is so distinct and admired.

Maulana Azad, a founder of this great university, once said:  “The Indian genius has always recognized that truth has many facets.  And conflict and hatred arise because people claim a monopoly on truth and virtue.” That Indian genius – that need for respecting and safeguarding diversity – is needed everywhere.

I count on India
And at the United Nations, I count on India to help show the way. All nations face challenges on human rights.  It is imperative for India to tackle its own – through legislation, through policy, and through action to protect all citizens regardless of gender, identity, or social origin. Ladies and gentlemen, India is at a pivotal point in its own history.  In many ways, it faces the classic dilemma of a middle-income nation.  On the one hand, we see India as the rising global power.

On the other hand, India faces many of the challenges of a developing nation.

(Short version of the remarks made to Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) by the eighth and the present Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon at the convocation ceremony held at Dr Ansari Auditorium on April 27)