‘Doomsayers’ proved wrong as PM Modi forges BRICS consensus: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on September 13 praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for steering BRICS towards consensus, saying the summit's outcome had proved wrong those who expected the grouping to struggle to reach meaningful agreements.

Reacting to international media coverage of the BRICS summit, Sarma said it was “heartening” to see Modi’s role in bringing the member countries together being recognised across the world.

“This morning, as I scanned the headlines of leading newspapers across the world, it was heartening to see the widespread recognition” of Modi’s role in forging consensus among the BRICS nations, he said in a post on X.

Sarma said the summit had been held amid a difficult geopolitical environment, with scepticism over whether countries with differing positions on major global issues would be able to agree on a common outcome.

“In today's complex geopolitical climate, the doomsayers were out in full force, certain the summit would collapse into empty statements,” he said.

However, Sarma said the outcome demonstrated that consensus could still be achieved under difficult circumstances.

“Yet the outcome speaks for itself: with the right leadership, consensus and solutions can be forged even in the most difficult circumstances,” the chief minister said.

His comments followed the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration at the 18th BRICS Summit. Sarma had earlier described the document as a reflection of India’s “pragmatic, inclusive and forward-looking leadership” and credited Modi with successfully bringing the member countries to an agreement.

The Assam chief minister had also welcomed the declaration’s reference to the Guwahati Declaration on combating narcotics, adopted at the BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies meeting in Guwahati in July.

Sarma had said the reference was significant for Assam, which he described as being located along a critical narcotics corridor.