Modi makes veiled reference to terrorism from across the border at Vesak Day

Colombo, May 12 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday made a veiled reference to the terrorism sponsored from across the border in India and said the proponents of hate are not open to dialogue.

Without taking any names, he said the menace of terrorism "in our region is a concrete manifestation of destructive emotion".

The Prime Minister was addressing the UN-recognised 14th International Vesak Day celebrations to mark the birth, enlightenment and passing away of Lord Buddha.

"Sadly, these ideologies of hate and their proponents in our region are not open to dialogue and hence only open to causing death and destruction," he said in his speech as chief guest at the function to which he was invited by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena.

Modi said he firmly believed that Buddhism's message of peace was the answer to growing violence all over the world.

He said the biggest challenge to sustainable world peace today was not necessarily from conflict between the nation states but from the mindsets, thought streams, entities and instruments rooted in the idea of hate and violence.