Wharton students to get lecture on their disrespect to Modi
New Delhi, March 6: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had agreed for an open discussion with Wharton students and by cancelling his event the students have derived themselves an opportunity to grill him. And the students are going to get a lecture on their disrespectful conduct.
Modern
politicians
hardly
submit
themselves
to
be
questioned
in
an
open
forum
and
according
to
US
India
Business
Council
(USIBC)
president
Ron
Somers,
the
Gujarat
chief
minister
had
agreed
to
a
'no
ground
rules' grilling.
The
USIBC
represents
over
350
top
US
companies
including
those
in
the
Fortune
500
list.
Somers
expressed
his
dissatisfaction
over
the
decision
taken
by
organisers
of
Wharton
India
Economic
Forum
(WIFE)
and
Somers
said
he
gives
Modi
credit
for
being
willing
to
submit
to
a
'no
ground
rules' format.
The
students
had
a
chance
to
ask
the
Gujarat
Chief
Minister
hard
questions,
he
felt.
Cancellation of the invitation to Modi was a missed opportunity for the students of the prestigious business school, Somers said and termed it as "unfortunate and disrespectful.''
"Such a 'no holds barred' dialogue between future business leaders and a leader of Chief Minister Modi's capability and stature would have expanded the plane of hope and progress, on which the future rests. Do we stand for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Such questions asked and answered only advance democracy," Somers said.
"Since when is an American University against free speech?" asked Somers, whose USIBC was the main partner in the recently concluded Vibrant Gujarat investors meet in Gandhinagar. Somers is slated to speak at the Wharton meet and USIBC is one of the three media partners of the summit.
USIBC is not withdrawing from the event and Somers intends to deliver his key note address to make his point. "I still plan on attending to make this point about free speech, and about how young people in India and the United States share common ground, similar values: where your last name shouldn't matter, and that freedom and liberty bring with them the responsibility to insist on better governance and for active and participatory democracy," he said.
During the Vibrant Gujarat summit this year, industrialists from across the globe made a beeline to Gujarat, pledging support and investment.
Corporate leaders feel that considering Gujarat's economic indicators, Modi's performance as chief minister is very good. By cancelling the event, Wharton has snubbed the Indian leader, they add.
A few industrialists see the tussle as a proxy fight between the Bharatiya Janata Party leader and the Congress. Whatever be the cause, Somers intends to tell the Wharton students on how to conduct themselves in a democratic world.
OneIndia News