Humanity has to fight challenges of terrorism, hunger: PM

NEW DELHI - Urging the people to act as responsible global citizens, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday said that humanity as a whole will have to fight together against the challenges of hunger, poverty, terrorism and disease.

Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here, the prime minister said there was a need to work towards reducing inequities and unacceptable poverty and creating a world that is environmentally sustainable.

He said the greatest battle is not that in which a nation wins over a nation but against the common challenges faced by humanity.

“Humanity acting as a whole will have to fight together against hunger, poverty, terrorism, disease, corruption, illiteracy and extremism of all hues. Such are the testing times. Such are the tests before us to fight,” Manmohan Singh said.

Pointing to the need for the country investing heavily in infrastructure, education, health, employment generation, industrliasation and eco-friendly agriculture, he said there was no magic wand or a magic formula to achieve high and inclusive growth.

“There is no magic wand, no magic formula. No rabbit can be pulled out…” he said.

The prime minister said there was a threat to the environment from inadequate regulation and a need to prevent degradation of water resources.