India must lead in reviving internationalism, handle its diversity: Manmohan Singh
New Delhi, Nov 19: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh said Monday that India must lead in reviving internationalism and stay ahead in the globalised world by handling its diversity and having an innate cosmopolitan temperament.
In an apparent criticism of the present government, he said India's success is its pluralist democracy, which celebrates diversity rather than equate unity with monochromatic dispensations, and the more narrowly the country seeks to define its identity the less capacity it will have in dealing with a globalising world.
Singh was speaking after receiving the prestigious Indira Gandhi prize for peace, disarmament and development for the year 2017, which was presented to him by former Chief Justice of India Justice (retd) T S Thakur, in presence of former president Pranab Mukherjee and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
Former vice president M Hamid Ansari and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, besides a host of former chief ministers, Union ministers and dignitaries were present among the audience at the award function.
In her inaugural address, Sonia Gandhi said Manmohan Singh's demeanour is such that it appears that he was born wise.
"He is the very epitome of integrity, humility, sagacity and gravitas. Not for him tall claims. Not for him empty and fanciful boasts. Not for him self-promoting bombast. Not for him falsifications of facts and history. Not for him the language of abuse and vitriol," she said.
She said in Singh's decade-long prime ministerial tenure, India recorded its highest economic growth rate ever. He became PM when the country was on edge and within months, his policies had a profound calming effect, Sonia Gandhi said.
Singh said if globalisation is one continuing and reinforcing trend, then the emergence of an increasingly multi-polar world is another, and the two are integrally inter-linked.
The former prime minister also called for a multilateral rule-based trade order which would enable the efficient management of an increasingly interconnected and interdependent global economy, saying this must be high on India's international agenda.
"We must lead in reviving the spirit of internationalism to temper the narrow urgings of nationalism now sweeping across the world," he said.
Singh noted that if globalisation is an inevitability and India needs to stay ahead of the curve, the assets that it can draw upon are its success as a pluralist democracy that celebrates diversity rather than equate unity with monochromatic dispensations.
He said successful societies of the future will be those which can handle immense diversity and have an innate cosmopolitan temperament. "The framers of India's Constitution were wise men and women in articulating a concept of citizenship which transcended, but did not seek suppression of India's diversity," he said.
He also noted that if Asia is to sustain its remarkable trajectory of growth and dynamism, acknowledging and learning to manage its emerging multipolarity will be the key. "If not, peace will inevitably be the casualty and so would development," he said.
Singh noted that right from the day it became an independent nation, India has been a steady champion of multilateralism and the spirit of internationalism without which it would lack its driving impulse.
"We are now at a point in history where there is an urgent need to strengthen institutions of global governance, including the United Nations, promote multilateralism as a process for transforming global collaboration on a whole series of global challenges which threaten to fragment and undermine international order," he said.
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Cong high command, CM to decide on K'taka Cabinet reshuffle: Minister Parameshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday said any decision regarding the cabinet reshuffle rests solely with the Congress high command and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
His remarks come as several party legislators step up their demands for a ministerial role.
Defending the MLAs' right to express their desires, the minister said, "It is natural to have aspirations and there is nothing wrong in seeking a minister post. What is wrong in them (MLAs) asking for an opportunity? Whether to give or not is upto the high command to decide... it is the Chief Minister's discretion..."
Speaking to reporters here, Parameshwara said the high command will look into these things and decide what needs to be done.
A group of senior Congress legislators, who have served as MLAs for over three terms, called on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday, urging him to rejig the cabinet and give them an opportunity to serve as Ministers.
The group of about 40 legislators has planned to travel to New Delhi on April 11 after the by-polls, to meet the Congress high command and discuss the induction of at least 20 of them during the reshuffle.
Some first and second-time legislators have also recently pressed for a cabinet reshuffle.
Amid the ongoing power tussle within the ruling Congress with speculations about CM change that has intensified after the government completed half way mark in November, a section of Congress MLAs has been pushing for a cabinet rejig for some time, with several aspirants openly expressing their wish to be inducted.
Karnataka has a sanctioned strength of 34 ministers, including the chief minister. Two cabinet berths are currently vacant — following the resignation of B Nagendra over allegations of embezzlement at the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation, and the sacking of K N Rajanna from the cabinet on the instructions of the party high command.
Asked whether the Congress faced difficulty in finalising candidates for the April 9 by-polls to Bagalkot and Davangere South Assembly segments, Parameshwara said there was no difficulty, and that the party is evaluating candidates in both constituencies, based on winnability as a criterion.
"The Davangere seat was earlier represented by Shamanur Shivashankarappa, so naturally there is demand for the ticket for his family, also as the minority community population is higher in that segment they too are asking for the ticket. Ultimately, the party will decide. In Bagalkote too, there is a demand that tickets be given to the late MLA Meti's son; there are also other aspirants there seeking tickets. The party will decide," he said.
Based on reports from the local workers about winnability, the party will decide on the candidates, he added.
Bypolls for the Bagalkote and Davanagere South assembly constituencies have been necessitated following the deaths of sitting Congress MLAs H Y Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa, respectively.
To a question regarding AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala's visit to the state, the Home Minister said he is most likely here for discussions regarding the by-polls, and there may also be other matters.
"AICC General Secretary may have come with certain mandates."
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