Every attempt made by India to foster peace with Pakistan was met with hostility and betrayal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.
Speaking in a podcast with Lex Fridman, Modi expressed hope that wisdom would prevail on the leadership of the neighbouring country to improve bilateral ties.
Modi recalled that he had invited then Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sherif for his swearing-in ceremony in 2014 with the hope that both India and Pakistan could turn a new leaf in their relations.
"Yet, every noble attempt at fostering peace was met with hostility and betrayal. We sincerely hope that wisdom prevails upon them and they choose the path of peace," he said.
Modi said even the people of Pakistan long for peace as they must be tired of living in strife, unrest and relentless terror.
The three-hour-long interaction with Fridman, a renowned MIT scientist and AI researcher, was released on Sunday.
Modi admitted that his attempts at improving bilateral relations didn't yield the desired results.
"This was a testament to how clear and confident India's foreign policy had become. This sent a clear message to the world about India's commitment to peace and harmony, but we didn't get the desired outcome," he said.
'Criticism is soul of democracy'
In the podcast, the prime minister spoke over a range of issues including his early life, his journey in the Himalayas, the influence of the RSS and Hindu nationalism.
Modi said he welcomes genuine criticism while terming it as the soul of democracy.
"I have a strong belief that criticism is the soul of democracy. If democracy truly runs in your veins, you must embrace it," he said.
"Always keep your critics close. Critics should be your nearest companions because through genuine criticism, you can improve quickly and work democratically with better insights," he added.
Talking about his early childhood, Modi said, "My childhood was spent in extreme poverty, I collected used chalk in school to polish my white canvas shoes".
"Now, when people talk about poverty, it’s natural to discuss it in the context of public life, and by those standards, my early life was spent in extreme poverty, but we never really felt the burden of poverty,” said the prime minister.
