Bharat means a perfect balance of Bhava, Raga and Taal. This trinity has sustained us as a nation and this is the only way one can attain peace and happiness said the spiritual Guru Jaggi Vasudev while inaugurating the second India Ideas Conclave held in Goa from November15 to 17, 2015. He further said that Bharat is the civilisation of seekers and not believers, therefore the journey of inward looking journey continues throughout the ages and this is the strength of this nation.The conclave was hosted by India Foundation in collaboration with Government of Goa.
The theme of this year’s conclave is ‘Learnings From Civilisation’. The India Ideas Conclave 2015 had more than 350 intellectuals participating. The intellectuals include Union Ministers, professionals, journalists, politicians and social activists. This year the conclave had 60 speakers. The speakers include Governors. Chief Ministers, Former Prime Ministers from across the globe, Union Ministers, spiritual gurus and intellectuals.
The inaugural session of the conclave was chaired by Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu. The Chief Guest for the session was Prime Minister of Bhutan Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay. Keynote speaker for the session was Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, the spiritual leader and founder of Isha Foundation. Guests of Honour for the session were Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Goa’s Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha.
Besides a conversation with Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev moderated by M J Akbar, the conclave had two special key note addresses. In the first special address on Jambooriyat, Insaniyat and Kashmiriyat, Chief Minister of J&K Mufti Mohammad Sayeed invoked Kalhan while explaining Kashmiriyat in the historical context and said that Kashmiri people has denounced the path of Jinna long back. While appreciating Modi government’s approach Sayeed categorically said that he said that the BJP led government is focussed on and committed to people’s concerns. In an answer to a question he said that it is his ultimate wish to bring back Kashmiri Pandits to the valley with honour.
“Culture is the expression of soul of the nation. Land, people and culture gives birth to a nation. For any nation, culture is the key element. Every nation has its own cultural identity. Soul of the nation is spirituality, will get expressed in various ways” said RSS Sah-sarakaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale while delivering the second Keynote address of the Conclave. Dattatreya Hosabale was addressing on topic “RSS and its Cultural agenda” at the conclave which was Chaired by thinker Sheshadri Chari.
Dattatreya Hosabale clarified that “RSS has no cultural agenda, But RSS has vision and views on Culture, which is to preserve values from practices since centuries and millennium in this nation”.
Valedictory Session was chaired by Ms Mridula Sinha Honourable Governor of Goa. Valedictory address was given by Ms Nirmala Sitharaman Honourable Union Minister of State, Commerce and Industry (Independent Charge). While referring to the recent controversy, Mrs Sitharaman said we previously never had disowning of the PM of our country and therefore, we must question false arguments. In her address Hon Mridula Sinha said that Goa is the best place for churning of new ideas. Narrating anecdotal examples she said that our civilisational values flow from the family institution and through village level it reaches upto the prestige of Bharat Mata. She called upon cherishing these values with new ideas.
The ideas stormed in various plenary sessions throughout the three days. New Age Politics, Cultures in Conflict The Road Ahead, Rise of Radicalism –Future of Civilisations, Mother Earth , Mother Nature – The Eastern Wisdom, The pen Warriors – Literary Battles for Civilisational Ideas, Semitic Ideas – Orthodoxy, Modernity and Reforms, and Are Lifestyle Issues becoming Identity Questions were the main plenary sessions of the Conclave. Digitisation and Future of India, World Without poverty, In search of Laxmi – Towards Indic Economics and Gender Equality, sensitivity, neutrality were parallel sessions with eminent personalities. —Organiser Bureau
| The Swarajya Awards for 2015 were announced today at the second India Ideas Conclave, Goa. Dr Arvind Panagariya, Sajjad Lone, Joe D’Cruz, and the Robin Hood Army were the winners across the four categories. Dr Arvind Panagariya wins the Dr B.R Shenoy Award for Economics The B.R Shenoy Award, named in honour of Bharat’s great free market economist who challenged the Nehruvian dirigisme, will be presented every year to an individual who has consistently advocated the value of open market, stood for reduced role for government in Enterprise and thereby made a significant contribution to advance human freedom. The award is in honour of Bharat’s bravest free market economist who dared to challenge Nehruvian socialism and paid the price for it. Dr Panagariya, like Shenoy, has consistently championed free markets and minimal role of government in the economy. Dr Panagariya, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2012, has worked in the University of Maryland, College Park, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and UNCTAD. His 2008 book, India: The Emerging Giant, has been praised by critics and economists as, among other things, “the definitive book on the Indian economy”. Robin Hood Army wins the Sree Narayana Guru Award for Social Work Sree Narayana Guru Award, will be presented every year to Individuals/institutions engaged in transformational social work projects/ inspiring grassroots activism in rural education healthcare/tribal welfare/ empowerment of marginalised/rural entrepreneurship. It all started in August last year when a group of six youngsters decided to address two important issues, hunger and food wastage. They drove to restaurants, collected unsold food, re-packaged it and gave it to around 100 people in need of it around the city. Within a few months, the movement gained nationwide support and appreciation, and spread across 13 cities, including Hyderabad, Mumbai and Kolkata. In April this year, the movement crossed national borders, with cities like Karachi and Lahore organising such volunteering campaigns. Neel Ghose and Anand Sinha, the two 27-year-old founders, were inspired by Refood International, an organisation based in Portugal. Sajjad Lone wins the Dr S.P Mukherjee Award for Politics Dr SP Mukherjee Award, named in honour one of Bharat’s great statesman – politician and an intellectual progenitor of a uniquely Bharateeya political philosophy, will be presented every year to an active politician who has consistently strived to uphold values that Dr Mukherjee epitomised – commitment to constitutional values, and thoughtful interventions to enrich the quality of public life. It is now evident that peace in Jammu and Kashmir is possible only through democracy and development. Sajjad Lone, by participating in the democratic process, and as a Minister of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, has set an example for those concerned with the wellbeing and prosperity of Jammu and Kashmir, and has also shown that democracy, peace and development are mutually complementary. D’Cruz wins the Ustad Bismillah Khan Award for Culture Ustad Bismillah Khan Award, named in honour of one of Bharat’s great musicians, who embodied the essence of Bharat’s cultural syncretism and shared civilisational heritage, will be presented every year to an individual who has achieved the highest level of excellence in fields like arts/ culture/literary/philosophy/folk tradition. RN Joe D Cruz was born into a traditional Tamil fisherman family, and has years of hands-on experience in traditional fishing systems as well as in corporate fishing. He has been actively working and writing for the ecological preservation, national integration and inclusive social development of the coastal region and communities. He is also the founder and managing trustee of Bharatha Culture and heritage Trust. He is an eminent Tamil writer who established his place in Tamil literary field for ever with his first work: World Surrounded by Ocean (Aazhi Choozh Ulaku). Through his literature and his mission for socio-cultural empowerment, Joe D Cruz manifests bravely and holistically the soul of Bharat. |
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