First Time In History That India's Voice Is Heard With Respect: VP Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar Friday said it is for the first time in history that India’s voice is heard with respect as never before and asserted country’s rise in the world would mean global peace and stability.

Addressing the Indian School of Business Leadership Summit 2024 at Mohali, Dhankhar said India has come to count in global affairs consistent with its populace, being a repository of knowledge and wisdom, and home to one sixth of humanity.

India’s rise in the world would mean global peace, global stability, global harmony, he said.

”As leaders-in-making, you are principal stakeholders in generating this ecosystem,” he told the gathering.

The vice president observed that leadership must be deeply wedded to nationalism and that the nation must be kept at the centre to serve its greater good.

He further proposed research in India, innovate in India, and design in India. ”Economic nationalism is fundamental to our growth.” Expressing concern over the volume of export of Indian raw materials, he urged the stakeholders to develop economic ethics on not exporting country’s raw materials without value addition.

Addressing the gathering, Dhankhar said that India needs next generation leaders who can drive innovation and change.

He also emphasised on creating leaders who find solutions for Indian and global problems and creating partnerships to resolve challenges of everyday Indian.

The academia, the industry, leaders and students must ponder over facets of leadership with Indian characteristics, he said.

”The nation has to be kept at the centre. Whatever we may do in any part of the globe, our heart and soul reside in India,” said Dhankhar.

”I urge the leadership to be deeply wedded to nationalism. Without this spirit, no amount of leadership skills will serve the greater good of the nation. Serve your nation optimally, serve your nation with full dedication. This is uniform ordainment for all of us,” he said.

The vice president highlighted the dangers of indoctrination, likening it to giving hard sugar to a diabetic patient.

”Friends, we are at a leadership summit. Think how, over the years, leadership programmes have been used to indoctrinate young minds of the country by the deep state.

”I come across several people including parliamentarians who express delight at having been invited by leadership fora abroad. There tends to be a sense of elation, a sense of joy. But beware, be cautious! Those who have been there earlier, where are they now? It’s a subtle method of indoctrination. It is like giving hard sugar to a diabetic patient. It is creating enemies of the nation from outside,” he said.

Dhankhar said he can give instances of a number of young minds today.

”You may be envying their life, but they are parasitical when it comes to financial situations. They are greased and they act like robots,” he said, while adding ”you have to be extremely careful about such leadership programmes”.

”Through institutional mechanisms, fellowships, visiting programmes and university affiliations, they brainwash and indoctrinate our people. They themselves have not seen India. They paint a picture to show that we are crumbling. Far from it,” he pointed out.

Dhankhar said an individual committed to nationalism will be able to thwart these moves. Even by being a part of it, he will be able to stand on his own spinally and thereby neutralize such forces, he noted.

He emphasized the critical role that nationalism must play in leadership training, urging institutions to incorporate it as a core component of leadership programmes.

”Nationalism should be a part of leadership curriculum. It is the foremost curriculum as a matter of fact,” he stressed.

Emphasising the significance of grassroots leadership, the vice president said that India is the only country with constitutionally structured democracy extending to the village and municipal levels.

He also emphasized that the governance is dictated only by principles of transparency and accountability and that the youth now have an ecosystem where they can fully exploit their talent as power corridors have been duly sanitized of corrupt elements.

Dhankhar told the gathering that the government’s historic continuous third term after six decades ”focuses on growth through new initiatives that will concern all of you”.

”They broaden your basket of opportunities. They will ignite your talent, exploit your potential, fructify your aspirations!,” he said.

These include creating 12 industrial zones to boost manufacturing, prioritizing skill development, improving logistics, and expanding aviation, he said.

He said Rs 19,000 crore was allocated by the government of India for green hydrogen mission and Rs 6,000 crore allocated for National Quantum Computing Mission. ”We are on the way towards commercialization of 6G,” he said.

”These will open enormous vistas of contribution, opportunities, changing the landscape of this country. All these can get cutting edge only by leadership,” he said.

Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice-Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, were among those present on the occasion.