At a time when the world is going through an upheaval, tormented by Covid-19, war & conflict, economic downturns, political instability, and natural & man-made disasters, India has emerged as a shining beacon of hope and help. ABP Network is organising the second edition of Ideas of India Summit for leaders from various fields to shed light on this and talk about how they see an India of the future gracing
Day 1 of the two-day Ideas of India Summit 2023 featured political leaders from India and abroad, such as former UK PM Liz Truss, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann. It also featured eminent sports personalities like Jwala Gutta, Joshna Chinappa, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, and Vinesh Phogat. From the entertainment industry, actors Sara Ali Khan, Ayushman Khurrana, Manoj Bajpayee, Zeenat Aman, Asha Parekh, singer Lucky Ali, and poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar graced the ocassion. Educators like Khan sir of GS Research Centre and teacher and motivational speaker Avadh Ojha were also present.
Here’s a snapshot of how the day panned out and who said what:
Former UK PM Liz Truss
Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss said that India believes in freedom and democracy and the nation’s role in the international arena will e vital in the coming years. Truss also said that what is important now at this crucial juncture for the world is India’s voice on the world stage. “As a country that believes in freedom, believes in democracy and believes in self determination, you are going to be vital in next few years,” she said.
Japanese Consul-General Yasukata Fukahori
Consul-General of Japan Yasukata Fukahori reiterated the cultural proximity and said that the economic ties will deepen with a target of five-trillion Yen investment in India can be achieved soon. He said the “investment target in India within the next five years seems attainable”.
“Over the past 20 years, India has been a challenging market… Companies have seen failed investments and recorded significant losses upon return to Japan. However, the situation is currently experiencing dynamic changes. It is crucial for private companies to establish reliable partnerships with proper partners in India. Building trust now will lead to long-lasting relationships,” Yasukata Fukahori said.
Author Devdutt Pattanaik
Author and mythologist, Devdutt Pattnaik said diversity by definition is inefficient and also lends itself to create heirarchies.” He said that diversity was one of the reasons for caste system in India. “On the other hand uniformity is efficient but takes away difference,” he said.
On democracy, Pattnaik said that “unfortunately democracy today is moving towards monotheistic ideals divided into left and right.” When asked if it was efficient, Pattnaik responded by saying, “it leads to crusades”.
Lyricist and singer Lucky Ali
Lucky Ali, who belted out some of the biggest pop hits of the ‘90s and the early ‘2000s, speaking about the recent trends “Boycott Bollywood” said “I always considered it to be the Indian film industry. Bollywood is a misnomer, carried from the West. There’s nothing to be proud of in the term ‘Bollywood’.”
He also said he is quite content with his life as an organic farmer in Bengaluru. “It’s therapeutic. Everyone should be self-sufficient and growing your own vegetables and walking down your own vegetable fields just feels so good,” he said. Talking about his Idea of India, he said the country has a population of some 1.7 billion. If everybody would pitch in with Rs 10, the country can garner nearly Rs 4,400 billion in a year, which can be distributed among all the states to help develop several sectors.
Chief Economist at CRISIL, Dharmakirti Joshi
Speaking at the ABP summit, Joshi said that the growth percentage in India “is going to come down from 7 per cent to 6 per cent” but still the country would be the “fastest growing economy even at 6 per cent.”
Joshi listed three reasons for the slowdown, with the first being the spillover of the global economic slump via export and the second being increase in the rate of interest by the Reserve Bank of India. The third reason listed by Joshi for an economic slowdown in India was “very messy geopolitics”.
Actors Asha Parekh and Zeenat Aman
Veteran actor, film director and producer Asha Parekh, and renowned yesteryear actor Zeenat Aman shared their thoughts on working in the entertainment industry, contemporaries, and also the “insecurities” faced by fellow actors.
Asha Parekh revealed how actors used to be a little intimidated or frightened by her presence on film sets, and maintained a safe distance from her, while, Zeenat Aman expressed her admiration for her contemporary and close friend Hema Malini. Both the actors talked about the do’s and don’ts they exercised while picking a role.
Lyricist, Screenwriter And Poet Javed Akhtar
Acclaimed lyricist, screenwriter and poet Javed Akhtar spoke about his recent comment on 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. While talking about the current state of Pakistan, he was asked whether if in hindsight, he thinks the formation of Pakistan was a mistake. The lyricist quickly replied that he thinks the formation of Pakistan was the ‘biggest blunders that humans committed’.
Elaborating it further, Akhtar said, “Formation of Pakistan was illogical. Religion doesn’t make a nation; it is not enough glue to make a nation.”
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann
Punjab has been playing a vital role in making India a self sufficient nation as “we are the biggest food-ball of the country,” said Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. Speaking at the second edition of ABP Network Ideas of India on “Reinventing Punjab: Beyond Guns and Drugs”, Punjab CM stated that “whatever you sow will bear its fruits in Punjab except for the hatred.”
Actor Manoj Bajpayee
Manoj Bajpayee, the actor who has created a mark in the Hindi film industry with a diverse portfolio sat down to talk about his journey, from a small village in Bihar to being a star on OTT and his choice of difficult films like ‘Aligarh’.
The veteran actor also threw light on how easy it was today in the film industry to get work. When the host talked about the culture in Bollywood where actors attend the right parties at the right time to get work, Manoj Bajpayee said, “The work I do can never have any influence of lobbyists or cliques. You have to 200% justice to each opportunity that you get.”
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday claimed that his deputy Manish Sisodia, who has been called for questioning in the Delhi liquor policy case by the CBI, would be arrested on Sunday.
Hitting out at the Modi government over the Adani-Hindenburg row, Kejriwal said only a select 2-4 people were being given loans worth thousands of crores and when they fail to pay them, it is being written off by banks. “Banks are not seeing if a particular company is worth giving a loan. On the other hand, if farmers take loan and fail to pay back on time, they are harassed due to which they end their lives,” the Delhi CM said.
Actor Ayushmann Khurrana
Talking about starting his film career, Ayushmann Khurrana said, ‘I was not at all scared.’ He said that he was aware that the first step has to be good because he won’t get a second chance as an outsider. He said that sometimes the audience surprises us since he didn’t anticipate that his first movie, ‘Vicky Donor,’ would be a commercial success.
He also expressed his wish to do even a small role in his wife Tahira Kashyap’s movie.