Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday asserted that all democratic nations, bound by a shared commitment to peace, security, and the rule of law, will have to come together to stamp out terrorism.

He stressed that terrorism poses a profound global challenge that transcends national borders and threatens the very fabric of peaceful societies. He called for a collective and resolute response, grounded in mutual trust and respect for international norms, to effectively combat terrorism and uphold the values that define democratic societies.

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Birla made these observations during a meeting with a Japanese Parliamentary Delegation, led by Speaker of the House of Representatives Nukaga Fukushiro at the Parliament House complex.

Fukushiro strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and reaffirmed Japan’s steadfast support for India’s fight against terrorism.

Mr Birla appreciated the leadership of Japan for expressing solidarity with India on the Pahalgam terrorist attack and emphasised that in the current global scenario, friendship between India and Japan is essential for global peace, prosperity and stability.

Referring to a partnership between India and Japan in multilateral forums like QUAD, G20, and International Solar Alliance, Mr Birla said, ”We have common concerns and thoughts on regional and global issues. Our relations based on mutual understanding are extremely important for co-beneficial progress as well as for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”

In the changing context, the friendship has now taken the form of strategic and global cooperation, he added.

Mr Birla noted that the friendship between India and Japan is based on civilizational contacts, shared heritage of Buddhism, and shared commitment to democratic values. He also expressed happiness that every year a large number of Japanese tourists and pilgrims visit India to go to places related to Buddhism, which promotes people-to-people connection between the two countries.

Mr Birla also welcomed the Japanese proposal to provide opportunities to more than 50,000 skilled human resources of India in various sectors in Japan. He appreciated Japan for providing more opportunities to Indian students in the country. He also thanked Japan for its assurance of support in the infrastructure development of India’s North East region.

Noting that last year, India completed the golden journey of 75 years of the Constitution, Shri Birla mentioned that the Constitution has played an important role in India’s journey of progress and development. Under the guidance of the Constitution, the country has made large-scale socio-economic changes after independence and has kept public welfare at top priority, he added.

Referring to legislations like ‘Disability Rights Act-2016’ and ‘The Transgender Persons Act, 2019’, Shri Birla opined that these laws have made a significant contribution in connecting the last person of society to the mainstream.

To increase the participation of women in our legislative process to build a modern, balanced and progressive society, ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ has been passed, which provides for reservation of seats for women in the Union and State Legislatures, he informed the Delegation. He also informed that the Indian Parliament has increased the use of Digital Technology and AI to bring transparency in its functioning and make it accessible to the public and more efficient, which has yielded positive results. He expressed eagerness to share these experiences with the Parliament of Japan.