Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on September 20 said he was pained by any adverse comment against India that is totally disconnected from the ground reality and is picked up by the media in high decibel.
Addressing the All India Management Association's (AIMA) 49th National Management Convention, Mr. Dhankhar recounted the government’s achievements in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, ease of doing business, economic reforms and the upcoming G-20 presidency of India.
“The executive leadership has attained on ground what we never imagined earlier,” the Vice-President said.
Mr. Dhankhar said the pandemic made everyone aware of the strength the country possessed and it was reflected in every facet of life when people came forward to alleviate the suffering of those in need of help.
“It pains my heart sometimes when anywhere from the globe there will be a voice totally disconnected from the ground reality of this country saying something adverse and that is picked by the media in high decibel,” the Vice-President said.
Mr. Dhankhar said such remarks were an affront to industry leaders attending the convention, who possessed much more maturity than the “gentleman speaking from anywhere”.
“That kind of politics has to be contained and that containment can take place only in the peer group which is before me. I wouldnt reflect more on this,” the Vice-President said.
Mr. Dhankhar also lauded the government’s efforts in vaccination against Covid in spite of the great hurdles generated without any rationale or premise.
“Those who did that challenge were unaware that they were distancing themselves from the genius of the Indian mind and were not sharing India’s growth story,” the Vice-President said, referring to his tenure as the Governor of West Bengal.
The Vice-President noted that the government had taken great efforts on account of ease of governance, an area that used to give industry leaders “sleepless nights”.
“It is a matter of time that the optimisation that is taking place will fructify in a more soothing ecosystem. The response is amazing,” Mr. Dhankhar said.
He said India has never received the attention globally as it does now.
“It is a matter of pride that the image the Indian Prime Minister has, the image the Indian foreign minister has, the image every Indian has abroad is very different. We are a nation on the rise, and why not, centuries ago we were leaders in every sphere of human activity and we need to take pride in this,” Mr. Dhankhar said.
The Vice-President said India was assuming the presidency of G-20 later this year, which would give the country an opportunity to shape the global economic and political agenda.
Mr. Dhankhar also called upon business and industry leaders to take a proactive role in India’s mission to become self-reliant.
“India is counting on its entrepreneurial generation to drive economic growth by creating new enterprises, new jobs, new exports and new solutions to the developmental problems,” he said.
The Vice-President also presented Fellowships of AIMA to Vijay Kelkar, former Chairman, Finance Commission of India, Raman K Garg, IRS, and Harsh Pati Singhania, former President, AIMA.
