India's visiting Vice-President Hamid Ansari on Friday said peaceful, democratic means are the only way to resolve global problems.
"India sees democratic and peaceful means not only as means to resolve differences within countries, but also supports democratisation of international relations and global governance," Ansari said in an address on the 'Seven Decades of Indian Democracy' at Warsaw University in the Polish capital.
"The largest challenges that face humanity today -- be it the impact of climate change or rising tide of extremism and terrorism -- require cooperation and collaboration between all nations for their resolution," Ansari said.
On how lack of democracy causes conflict, the Vice-President said: "It is when democracy stops working, when conflicts are not peacefully resolved that violent separatist movements and religious conflicts emerge."
"The solution to addressing the gaps and failings of democracy is indeed more democracy."
Speaking on the Indian experience in resolving discontent through democracy, Ansari said: "In India, the many discontents are manageable precisely because there is a democratic framework."
"For the last 70 years, we have worked democracy to the best of our capacity, not yet to the best of our ability," he said.
"Operating a democracy is always a work in progress."
Ansari said there are a number of challenges to consolidation of democracy in India.
Speaking on the democratic ethos as part of pre-Independence India and how these shaped its world view, he said: "A democratic India, therefore, stood in solidarity with the people of Africa and other Asian countries who were struggling to take charge of their own destiny by overthrowing the chains of colonial power."
"India remained a strong partner as they sought independence and self-sufficiency," he added.
Calling the people of India as the guarantee of democracy, the Vice-President said: "As long as our people are resistant to usurpation of their rights and do not succumb to sectarian and communal thought, there remains great hope that our democracy will continue to thrive and inspire others."
Ansari arrived in Warsaw on Wednesday evening for a three-day State visit to Poland. He is accompanied by his wife Salma Ansari. Earlier, the Vice-President visited Armenian capital Yerevan on April 25 and 26.
--IANS
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