labels: economy - general, in the news
Kalam seeks help from captains of industry to make India self-reliant news
James Paul
27 September 2003

A P J Abdul KalamKochi: Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam sought the cooperation of industrial and business leaders of the Indian diaspora to help the country gain self-reliance in critical areas for achieving the ambitious plan of transforming India into a developed nation by 2020.

Addressing a select gathering of chief executive officers and businessmen of Indian origin spread across the world, he said empowerment of the country's predominantly agrarian population through education and employment generation should be addressed effectively to achieve the aim of eradicating poverty.

Ensuring food and knowledge security besides protecting the nation's security itself were of paramount importance, Kalam told the gathering at Amritavarsham-50, the golden jubilee birthday celebrations of spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi.

"India is endowed with a wealth of natural resources and gifted with an endless and incomparable bio-diversity and human resources. We only have to add technology, including space technology, to convert them into our advantage."

If the country succeeds in using the available resources under a creative leadership, the goal of transforming India into a developed nation by 2020 can be easily achieved, he said.

Earlier, in her inaugural address at the summit, Amritanandamayi, popularly known as Amma, called upon the CEOs and business leaders to help unfold the goal set forth by Kalam, whose deep insight and vision had prompted the ashram to convene this international summit.

There are innumerable hurdles in achieving this huge task but they can be overcome with the support from people who are successful in life, she said. "The greatest tragedy in life is not death but the failure to prevent rusting of talents and disinclination to serve the needy."

Narrating the story of a beggar, whose honesty helped him become a minister in a kingdom and finally succeed to the throne, Amma exhorted the CEOs not to forget their past. "What you are today can also change tomorrow; that is life."

Poverty, she said, is the greatest enemy of mankind. "It drives the young people to turn terrorists and thieves. If poverty is to be removed there will be a greater unity among the people, which can benefit the nation."

Delivering the keynote address, S P Hinduja, chairman, Hinduja group, expressed the hope that India will be able to achieve all its objectives outlined by Kalam and encouraged by Amma, whom he described as a "divine river" that provides all that one needs.

Hinduja said the world is "flooded with money" and there can be no better place than India to invest money. "If the right atmosphere is created, India's dream of transforming itself into a developed nation can be achieved by 2010 itself."

The industrialist also wanted the country's youth to be encouraged to think globally. Urging that an atmosphere of enduring peace be created in the sub-continent, Hinduja exhorted all to take a vow to work for attaining the Indian president's set goal of Vision 2020.

The occasion also saw the launch five projects of the Amritanandamayi Math, intended to implement as part of Amritavarsham 50.


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Kalam seeks help from captains of industry to make India self-reliant