Sri Sri Ravishankar, Dr Karan Singh among others grace the ICPRD event in Delhi
By: Kulsoom Abid
Radiance News Service
Pix: Jaininjai
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is a government of India's initiative to commemorate 75 years of independence and celebrate it on a large scale by honouring India’s glorious history, people, culture, and achievements.
This Mahotsav is dedicated to the people of India, who have not only been instrumental in bringing India this far in its evolutionary journey, but also have the power and potential of taking the country to the next level by activating India 2.0, or as the term goes Aatmanirbhar Bharat or Vishwaguru Bharat.
The official journey of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav began on March 12, 2021, which began a 75-week countdown to our 75th anniversary of independence and will end a year later on August 15, 2023.
This 75-week celebration is marked by various competitions, seminars, and events across the country. One such event was hosted by India Centre for Policy Research and Development (ICPRD) on April 5, 2022, at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. The main focus areas of the ceremony were Economy, Trade and Commerce, International Relations and Foreign Policy, Education and Training, Agriculture, Food Security, Climate Change, and Rural Urbanisation. Among those who graced the occasion are:
● H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Founder, The Art of Living), Chief Guest
● Dr Karan Singh, Hon'ble Former Union Minister, Govt. Of India
● s Mr. Dilip Cherian (Social Commentator & Columnist)
● Dr Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Hon'ble Member of Parliament, Prayagraj
● Shri Shyam Jaju, Former Vice President, BJP
● Shri R C P Singh, Hon'ble Union Minister of Steel, Govt. of India
● Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister Agriculture, Govt. Of India
● Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon'ble Minister for Jal Shakti, Govt. of India
● Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale, Hon'ble Member of Parliament
● Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Environment, Forest and Climate Change
The audience was graced by the encouraging and enlightening words from the guests.
Pix: Jaininjai
As Dr Karan Singh spoke about how far we have come and how beautifully we have grown as a country since freedom. He also mentioned the un-finished struggles highlighting how we need to strengthen ourselves economically and educationally to become the nation we are expecting to be, Dr Rita Bahuguna Joshi also mentioned how the conditions of women have improved since independence in our nation and how actively it is still improving.
Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale, Member of Parliament said, “As the son of Bharat Mata (India) I would like to request everyone to pay homage to the country. No discrimination should be there in order to respect the national anthem, national flag, and the country. “I would like to request all of you how wishes to see India grow, to come together and unite as one. There is one constitution, one national flag, and only one India.” He also mentioned how Indian students were brought back from Ukraine and how our beloved neighbouring countries respect us. He termed it “the power of our Indian-ness”. What came into my mind was the whole thing Air India did by raising the ticket prices and all the experiences those students shared on news channels regarding the Indian embassy and all.
Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, while praising the agricultural growth of the country and policies of the government mentioned that “no poverty-stricken person died because of hunger during Covid-19 in India.” And my mind automatically went to the devastating images of migrant workers who had to carry their children on their back and return to their villages as they had no food, no work, and no money to afford the transport.
This is the problem I suppose, we get so busy looking at only one aspect of the picture that we forget to see the picture as a whole. India has grown a lot in these 75 years and no doubt as a citizen of this country we all are proud of our achievements and they should be celebrated, but we should not ignore the drawbacks as well because the improvement can only be done by appreciating the goods and working on the not-goods. I don’t see any point in making India “Vishwaguru” if the citizens have to suffer this brutely. The country is made from its people and the people, the culture and the moral values have always been the USP of India. Ignoring the struggles would be an injustice to the victims and India I am proud of and I know, would never want injustice in any form.
The congratulations letter from the Dalai Lama, presented at the event, was proof of how the world has whole-heartedly accepted and appreciated our cultural and moral values. And as the honourable chief guest, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said in the event that we need to stay connected to our history, heritage, culture, and roots while we grow to become a better version of ourselves, I believe this is what the nation has to do as well.
Pix: Jaininjai
We all want to see India 2.0 but the country can only prosper when we pay attention to the problems faced by people especially those who do not get exposure and reach out to society. It's not about what we do, it's about what we become in the process.