Kochi:
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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