India has potential to become a powerhouse by 2030: Tharoor
Manama : The youth of today have a lot of potential, and if one wants, a positive change can be initiated to make India an economic powerhouse by 2030, said Dr, Sashi Tharoor, MP, yesterday.
Speaking at the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) Convention , Tharoor said that India’s is a unique democracy because most other nations currently a democracy were developed before they became a democracy.
“The Indian economy is unusual, first of all our choices are made as a democracy and every MP is in a situation where the majority of the voters actually live with less than 2 dollars a day. So for us, basic issues of survival assume priority,” said the Indian politician who is also an author.
“Most other democracies grew first and became a democracy later but we became a democracy first and are trying to grow. For us, our economic policies must make the needs of the poor as the priority. As an MP I can tell you we can’t escape the political responsibility to our voters. Our economic policies are driven by the poor, rather than by the tax payers. In other democracies, we always say ‘what do the tax payers want’, but in India the tax payers are less than 5 per cent of the voters. Our accountability as a democracy has to be to the majority of voters not the minority of tax payers. As the economy grows and the tax payers numbers grows, this will change, but that’s for the longer term,” he said.
Dr. Tharoor, former Under-Secretary-General at the UN, focussed his speech around Indian economy and the history of India since its independence.
The second day was presided over by Shaikh Khalifa bin Duaij Al Khalifa, President of HRH the Crown Prince’s Court.
“By 2030, schools, colleges and books will become obsolete and everything will speak the language of technology. It is very important for a person to be a self- taught learner, as that makes one self- reliant,” said Entrepreneur and Telecoms change-agent, Dr. Sam Pitroda, sharing an interesting view.
“Bahrain is a tolerant country, where the people of all religions are welcome. Within a radius of 1 km, there is a church, mosque and a Jewish synagogue that reflects the friendliness and the level of tolerance in terms of religion. There is even a Hindu temple which is more than 120 years, and overall Bahrain is peaceful, and one is welcome to visit and explore the cultural side of the Island,” said Chief Executive, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, highlighting Bahrain’s religious tolerance.
Minister of Energy Dr. Abdulhussain Mirza lauded India-Bahrain relationship and the role of Indian community.
“Bahrain and India share a warm relationship that goes back for 5,000 years and a vibrant contemporary community, which traces its history back to 200 years. Indians are a respected and admired part of the Bahraini story of progress and we believe that their contributions of professional energy and talent alongside our Bahraini brothers and sisters has been one of the big collaborative stories of the past two centuries,” he said.
Later in the evening, the Minister presided over the launch of a book on management by the CEO of Banagas Dr. Shaikh Mohammed Al Khalifa.
Related Posts