INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (11) said the 9/11 terror attacks in the US were attacks on humanity and such tragedies can only be avoided by inculcating human values.
He said this on the 20th anniversary of the devastating attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. The twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York were hit with two hijacked passenger airplanes while some more tried to attack the White House and Pentagon. Operatives of terror outfit Al Qaeda hijacked the aircraft to carry out the attacks.
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“Today is September 11th i.e., 9/11! A date in the history of the world that is known to have struck humanity,” Modi said.
Smoke pours from the twin towers of the World Trade Center after they were hit by two hijacked airliners in a terrorist attack September 11, 2001, in New York City, the US. (Photo by Robert Giroux/Getty Images)
Mentioning that a century ago, on September 11, 1893, Swami Vivekananda took the global stage of World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago and introduced the world to the human values of India, PM Modi said, “On this day, Swami Vivekananda stood on that global stage and introduced the world to the human values of India.
Today the world is realizing that tragedies like 9/11 will have a permanent solution, only through these values of humanity.”
The US invaded Afghanistan soon after the 9/11 attacks and remained there for nearly 20 years. They left recently under the presidency of Joe Biden, paving the way for the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul.
Security personnel inspect the site in the aftermath of an attack as food stall chairs lie empty in Pahalgam, about 90 kilometres (55 miles) from Srinagar on April 23, 2025. Indian security forces in Kashmir carried out a major manhunt on April 23, a day after gunmen opened fire on tourists killing 26 people in the region's deadliest attack on civilians since 2000. Getty Images
Tourists visit Betaab Valley in Pahalgam, about 112 km south of Srinagar on June 26, 2025.Getty Images
Pilgrims gather at the Baltal Base Camp near Domel, en route to the sacred Amarnath cave in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India, on July 29, 2025. The annual Amarnath Yatra, which began on July 3, proceeds under heightened security following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 25 tourists and a local pony handler. Security forces have been deployed in large numbers across the pilgrimage route, with checkpoints, surveillance, and restrictions in place to safeguard the thousands of devotees undertaking the arduous journey. The Amarnath Yatra is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimages, drawing worshippers from across India to the high-altitude Himalayan shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. Despite the threat of violence and challenging terrain, pilgrims continue their spiritual trek, determined to complete the sacred journey under the shadow of grief and resilience.Getty Images