Friendship with Neighbouring Countries
Hon’ble M’am Director UNIC, Eminent Gandhian Shri B.R.Kamrahji, Chairman KIIT Group of Colleges, PadmaShri S.P.Varma, Vice-President
GGF, New Delhi, Mrs & Mr Harsh
Vardan CEO KIIT, Faculty members, Dr
Veena Behan, General Secretary GGF, Shri
Ram Mohan Rai, General Secretary GGF, Shri
Ashok Kapoor, Chairman GGF Delhi, Mr
& Mrs Zaida Khan former bureaucrat, Dr E. Murali Darshan, distinguished guests, GGF delegates & friends. It gives me rare
privilege to address on Young Gandhian
Summit 2013 under the banner of Gandhi
Global Family hosted by KIIT Group of Colleges Gurgaon.
 |
| Receiving souvenir from United Nations I.C. Director |
Once Martin Luther King Jr said “ If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable. He lived, thought,
acted & inspired by the vision of humanity evolving towards a world of
peace.”
Today in supersonic age of 21st
century, we are witnessing rapid technological advancements, increasing
economic integration, dramatic geo-political changes & ever growing
inter-connected new & equitable world order.
“Hot, Flat & Crowded” world of Thomas Friedman already made huge impact at the global level where
every individual irrespective of his nation, gender, race, culture & class
have experienced transcendental effects of globalization which is getting
beyond our imaginations. Yet in this
interdependent world, we are suffering with mistrusts, insecurities, tensions,
doubts & misdoubts among nations. Such trust-deficits later evolve into
Frankenstein’s monster which targeted mankind through wars & conflicts.
Today the nations stand at the
cross-road of three major challenges:
1. Proliferation
of conflicts, disputes & tensions among nations , rise of ethnic-religious
prejudices, intolerance, political arrogance & compulsions.
2. Growing
sense of alienation & distrust which leads to cynicism among nation &
brought them to stand against each other.
3. Lack
of universal solidarity and fraternity towards common goals like Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), Green & Clean technologies for sustainable
development & One Billion Rising for women empowerment.
In the words of former US President Sir Woodrow Wilson, “Friendship is the only cement that will
ever hold the world together” Through friendship old relations can be
revived and the new ones can be made with constructive spirit. This helps
connecting individual, peoples, cultures, countries which further inspires
peace efforts & build bridges among communities & countries.
Social harmony, Universal
tolerance, Civic sense, Mutual respect, respect for Human Rights, Human dignity
& Social Justice are emerging ethos of New World Order which are committed
to redress global challenges of persistent poverty, haunting hunger,
children & women trafficking, global
terrorism, ethnic conflicts, risk of
trade protectionism and even climate change.
In this context of Global Governance, a new concept has
emerged, the concept of Human Security where
the thrust were given to protect the vital core of all human lives in ways that
enhance human freedoms and human fulfillments. This human security cannot be
pursuit in isolation by one or few nations. It manifestly required trust,
understanding & friendship among nations. Human security requires a world
in which all nations come forward to share common burden, address common
problems & seize common opportunities for all.
US Foreign policy expert Mr
Charles A. Kupchan in his book “How Enemies Become Friends”
identified how nations escape geo-political competition & replace hostility
into amity. He emphasized three conditions:
1. Institutional
restraint.
2. Compatible
Social order.
3. Cultural
commonality.
He added that cultural
commonality dramatically increases the chances of stable peace between nations.
Madam Director, in this
context I would like to throw light on South Asia’s eight transnational equal
partners which occupies similar position in global matrix of economic,
political & social order. Despite of its diverse cultural-ethnicity,
multi-linguistics, multi-religious origin, we share a common value system &
common moral solidarity based on inter-faith believes.
The immediate & largest
neighbour of South Asia is China. Our constructive-agendas with each other can
bring economic wonders for both. Today South Asia is emerging economic
power-house where growth is driven by service sector, while China is leading in
industrialization. A harmonic synergy between South Asia and China can
distribute fruits of development at the local level. Together we comprised of
45% of World population, shared eco-sensitive trans-Himalayan ranges, mighty
rivers, & forest, vital sea trade lines, advantageous demographic dividend
and represent oldest civilizations of the world. Friendship in this region
means high economic integration, infrastructure & human development,
improved quality of life, water-power-food security & many folded
employment opportunities for youth.
Friendship & amicable
relations among countries provide a solid basis for peace, prosperity &
progress. Intra-Kashmir Trade & Bus service is a prominent
success story of Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) between India &
Pakistan which even withstand the most vulnerable periods of mistrusts after
2005 initiative. We need similar initiatives at bilateral & multilateral
level between countries. Today Information
& Communications Technology has an immense penetrating power which can
do wonders in social engineering. India is leading in ICT & Satellite
launching as a brand name & can offer technology-knowhow to its
neighbouring countries. More thrust need to be given on cultural, educational, professional & technological exchange programs where supranational &
inter-governmental organizations like UNO, EU, ASEAN & civil societies can
play a pivotal role in generating compassion, love & empathy towards the
fellow human beings.
Friendship with neighbouring
countries is seemed to be a silver lining behind the dark clouds of organized
crimes, political corruption, money laundering & class disparities. It is
often said “You can change friends
but not neighbours.” So
friendship among nations is a fundamental prerequisite for regional peace &
in this way it will enrich the mankind with Global Peace, which will be no more
a distant reality in coming days.
Madam Director being an engineer I would like to end with the views
of two eminent scientists of the world who admired Mahatma Gandhi through out
their life. An eminent agro-scientist of India Dr M.S. Swaminathan who transformed India from food-scarce nation
to food-sufficient nation, he profoundly emphasize that “ Future of the Nations belong to grains, not guns.” While greatest of all Physicist of 20th
century Dr Albert Einstein once
said, “ Peace cannot be kept by
force, it can only be achieved through understanding” Such
understanding can be driven by
Young Gandhians from the grass root to
global level. In this connection, National
Youth Project under the guidance of its Director & eminent Gandhain Dr S.N. Subba Rao (Bhaiji) is doing
outstanding service for the mankind in synthesizing the youth from various
countries & generating a level of understanding among them. It is rightly
said “Today Mahatma Gandhi’s views are most relevant than ever before, to
make our world livable without fear & insecurity.”
All Mighty bless you us all.
Jai
Hind, Jai Jagat….
Ankush Varma
35-Afghan street
Jammu J&K 180001
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