New Delhi: Dissent, democracy and nationalism are among the main topics that would be discussed threadbare at a three-day conclave to be held in Goa this week by the India Foundation, a Delhi-based think tank that counts four Union ministers among its board of directors.
The speakers at the Conclave titled “India at 70 – Democracy, Development and Dissent”, range from RSS joint general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale to Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind general secretary Mahmood Madani.
Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha, Minister of state for External Affairs MJ Akbar – who are all also on the board of the foundation – will share podium with Ambassador of Israel to India Daniel Carmon, Bangladeshi writer living in exile Taslima Nasreen, actress and BJP Parliamentarian Roopa Ganguly, BJD Lok Sabha MP Bijayant Jay Panda, activist Madhu Kishwar, author Tarek Fatah and Afghan Ambassador Shaida Mohammad Abdali at the convention.
“We need to look not just at politics, as much of India is what people think – we need to see the cultural and social aspects as well. There has been change in the narrative, it has changed for better while some believe it is regressing. So to talk about India at 70 will help us contextualise things, give us opportunity to discuss what is happening now – as over the years things have changed, it is not as it was in 50 or 60s,” Lalitha Kumaramangalam, chairperson of the National Commission for Women, who is one of the speakers, told News18.
Professor Madhu Kishwar, founder Manushi, felt that nationalism of the European variety was unfit for India and that is why leaders like Mahatma Gandhi never adopted it. “Pakistan did and look at them – what a mess they have become. We are multi-enthnic… what holds us together is not the government. We are together despite the government,” she said.
Kishwar said she condemned “slogan mongering nationalism of Bharat Mata ki Jai” as well as provocative incidents like the one witnessed in JNU early this year where slogans like “Bharat ke tukde tukde karenge” were raised.
Prasar Bharati Chairman and one of the speakers at the Conclave A Surya Prakash said we should all be proud about what India has achieved in 70 years its democratic journey. “With this diversity, we have democracy of certain quality which is unparalleled in the world. If you look around the world rarely do people of diverse religion ethnicity ever build together as a nation. That is a very major achievement,” he said.
Jamiat’s Madani’s focus would be on the condition of India Muslims, their development, achievements and responsibility.
“In context of development I will draw a comparison between Indian Muslims and Muslims in the subcontinent. There will also be comparison in development of Indian Muslims and members of other communities in India. There are important challenges ahead of Indian Muslims - what are they? How should India address its second largest majority? By that I mean how the government and people should address them,” he said.
Standing for “dissent” is Swadesh Singh, National Vice President, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, who will talk on “Youth Perspective”. “Dissent is important to oppose the system – you have to be in the system to dissent. If you are not in the system then how will you oppose it? In that case you are an anarchist like the Maoists and separatists,” he said.
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