Modi at NMFT: Stop the funding to stop terrorism

“Uprooting terrorism needs a larger, proactive, systemic response. If we want our citizens to be safe, we cannot wait until terror comes to our homes,” PM Modi said as he highlighted that all acts of terrorism must be dealt with “equal outrage and action”. Speaking at his inaugural speech at third NMFT (No Money For Terror) meet that is underway in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that terrorist organizations receive funding to carry out their operations from various sources.

He added that we must not take an absence of war as a sign of peace, adding that countries and international bodies supporting and funding terrorism must be slapped with a cost.

“Terrorist organisations get money through several sources. One source is state support. Certain countries support terrorism as part of their foreign policy. They offer political, ideological and financial support to them. International organisations must not think that the absence of war means peace. Proxy wars are also dangerous and violent. There must be a cost imposed upon countries that support terrorism. Organisations and individuals that try to create sympathy for terrorists must also be isolated. There can be no ifs and buts entertained in such matters. The world needs to unite against all kinds of overt and covert backing of terror,” PM Modi added.

“Our country faced the horrors of terror long before the world took serious note of it. Over the decades, terrorism in different names and forms tried to hurt India. We lost thousands of precious lives, but we have fought terrorism bravely. The delegates have a chance to interact with a country and people who have been firm in tackling terror. We consider that even a single attack is one too many. Even a single life lost is one too many. So, we will not rest till terrorism is uprooted.”

Started in 2018, NMFT is a French government initiative that had laid the foundation of FATF (Financial Action Task Force) in 1989. The global body is tasked with combating terrorist funding and money laundering. The first edition of NMFT was held in France and the second was in Melbourne.