Opinion: African Union In G20 - Seismic Change Under Modi's Leadership

When Narendra Modi stood at Delhi's Rajghat on a rain-soaked Sunday morning to receive G20 dignitaries who paid tribute to the Father of the Nation, a visual of Wardha Sevagram's 'Bapu Kuti' (which was Mahatma Gandhi's abode 1936 onwards) formed the backdrop. It was not mere symbolism. As G20 president, PM Modi carried Mahatma Gandhi's talisman of people-centric development and ensured that the continent of Africa, which was Bapu's initial karmabhoomi, was bestowed its rightful place with the induction of the 55-nation African Union (AU) as a permanent member of G20 alongside the European Union(EU).

The G20 Leaders' Declaration, which will be henceforth referred to as the 'Delhi Declaration', recorded this seismic change with the nomenclature - "Creating a More Inclusive World".

The induction of AU took place during Modi's opening presidential comment. The current President of AU, Azali Assoumani of Comoros, warmly embraced Modi before occupying his seat. Assoumani described the moment thus in a chat with media later: "I was about to cry. It was a great emotion for me. Because actually, we thought that there was going to be a debate and then a decision would be taken."