New Delhi, May 18 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is eyeing a historic third-consecutive term, cemented his claim to global leadership during the Indian G20 Presidency. He will bring extended economic growth in the country at a rate of 7-8 per cent, says Norwegian diplomat and green politician Erik Solheim.

In an interview on Saturday, Solheim, who believes many more people will vote in Bharat than in any other election, anywhere in the world, told IANS that PM Modi's victory will continue to root Indian strength and nationalism in the great heritage of the many thousand years old Indian thoughts, the Hindu Dharma.

'This process got a great shot in the arm with the opening of the Ram Mandir. Modi will continue this and in my view it is positive. It means India is modernising, but not westernising. But the BJP should also take care to include the substantial Indian minorities, particularly the Muslims,' he said.

An experienced peace negotiator, having acted as the main facilitator of the peace process in Sri Lanka from 1998 to 2005, Solheim, the President of the Green Belt and Road Institute believes that 'PM Modi will bring extended economic growth at a rate of 7-8 per cent. That means doubling the Indian economy in a decade. Both the BJP and many regional governments will prioritise pro-poor policies to make sure the rise of India benefits everyone. The digital economy facilitates this through direct cash transfer and more.'

Solheim, who believes that the West also has a lot to learn from economic policies and green commitments of PM Modi, says that he cemented his claim to global leadership during the Indian G20 Presidency.

'We will see a self-confident India, which much more than in the past, will assert its interest globally,' he said.

Explaining why India is the country to follow, the green politician who played a crucial role in convincing the country to phase out single-use plastic believes there is a broad global expectation that PM Modi will be re-elected and that India will have stable leadership, which is critical for growth.

'India is now a global leader on environment and climate issues. PM Modi just launched a major rooftop solar programme in which over one crore households registered and there are new renewable energy projects being opened or auctioned by the day.

'The Adani Group is constructing a 30 gigawatt wind and solar energy park in the Gujarat desert. This is massive, a great service to humanity, the largest such plant anywhere in the world,' said Solheim, who served as Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme between May 2016 and November 2018.

For Solheim, India has many friends and is well-positioned to play more of the role of peacemaker in conflicts like Ukraine, Gaza or other places.

'India's views on any global issue will grow in importance with the economic rise of the country. India should urgently be made a permanent member of the UN Security Council,' he said.

Explaining how the western world sees India emerging as a Global South leader with PM Modi at the helm of the country, he said, 'There is sometimes a mistake that a strong India will emerge as a copy of the West or the 'little brother' looking for guidance from Washington.

'The West sometimes wishes to enroll India as a counterweight to China. It's not yet fully understood in the West that India is a civilisational state and that India will not follow the lead of any other capital than Delhi.

'PM Modi, or any other Indian leader, will put India first and India second.'

According to Solheim, the Indian civilisation, rooted in Hindu dharma, is one of the world's most influential communities.

'A much stronger India in the future will face the world based on its own interest and its own values. This doesn't, of course, preclude close partnerships with the West or with China.

'The development of a stronger India also makes the voice of the Global South much stronger. It represents the end of 200 years of western global dominance,' he opined.

On India's effort to save the planet, Solheim, a frequent traveller to the country said, 'Indeed! PM Modi is fully focussed on green growth. A new development strategy is possible because solar, wind and hydro now are cheaper than fossil fuels. And renewables are Indian resources, no need for wasting money on imports. India is fast on the way to becoming a top global leader on environment and climate.'

'If I may add, it's good to see that this worldview is shared between the government and the Opposition. South Indian states, with regional party governments, are also moving green fast. One example is MK Stalin in Tamil Nadu,' he added.

On the future of Indian solar parks, he told IANS, 'In January I visited the huge solar and wind park under construction by the Adani Group near the Pakistani border in the Gujarat desert. It's wonderful and will provide huge amounts of clean energy. The construction is happening in an empty desert, so there are no issues with local people or wildlife.'

He also visited the world's largest floating solar power generation facility at Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh and the largest floating solar power generation facility in North India constructed by Hartek Solar in Chandigarh.

'These are examples of the speed of the change in Bharat and the ingenuity of the Indian people.

'There is no doubt India will soon be the second-largest solar nation in the world, surpassing everyone else, except China,' added Solheim, who says he's more worried about American democracy than the Indian one.

The 2024 Lok Sabha election will see a record number of youth who are eligible to vote.

Therefore, he urged all people, especially the youth, to join the process of celebrating the largest festival of democracy the world has seen.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiians@gmail.com)

/IANS