Industry captains must put India’s naysayers ‘in place’: Vice President Dhankhar

Hitting out at a ‘few people’ who belittle India’s ‘mind-blowing achievements’ in an ‘orchestrated manner’, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday urged Indian industry leaders to take initiatives to rebuff such naysayers and hold them ‘accountable’ as they are ‘well-positioned’ to show ‘these people their place”.

The media, whose ‘high-decibel’ coverage while being in ‘complete disconnect with the sentiment and ground reality of the nation’, adds to the problem and should ‘look within’ as the fourth pillar of democracy, Mr. Dhankhar said.

Stressing that he was pained for a long time by a ‘very few’ people who are ‘allergic’ to India’s astounding success, the Vice President said they keep on looking at ‘holes’ with industry and governance.

“They never think of appreciating and enjoying that Bharat is on the rise like never before.  I find it absolutely irrational and difficult to figure out orchestrated manner these people are belittling our mind-blowing accomplishments – accomplishments of industry, our farm sector, our workers, our youth. Why are they doing this?” he asked in an address to the PHD Chamber of Commerce of Industry, before mooting that its members take the lead in countering this phenomenon.

“An answer to them has to emanate from those who are firmly creators of this ecosystem – the leaders of industry and business. You have played a major role in making India what it is today. If your efforts are so belittled, are not recognised, and by people who have no connect either with the growth story or ground reality, who has to rebuff… challenge (and) … anti-dote them? I have no doubt the people here have to take initiative,” Mr. Dhankhar asserted.

“All of you present here individually and collectively, are well in a position to show these people their place. Look at your hard work, the great ecosystem you have created,” he said. The idea of vaccinating 1.3 billion people twice against COVID-19 would ‘make us shiver’ but has been accomplished in India, the Vice President said.

“Reflect back – who created the hurdles? Who created an environment of no-confidence? Who created that this will not fructify into positive action? Those people have to be held accountable and there can be no greater accountability than societal accountability. There can be no greater accountability than accountability by one’s own peer,” Mr. Dhankhar added, urging industry to ‘step out slightly’ from their business commitments to do this.

“If Bharat has fed 80 crore people during the pandemic and continues to do so, it could not have been without the efforts of the farmer,  Shramjeevi workers and business leaders. You maintained the chain intact under most difficult circumstances. How can we continue someone belittling you?” Mr. Dhankhar asked.

Arguing that no one knows India’s rising clout at the world stage better than industry leaders, the Vice President said: “When you walk out of this country and go to another, you know the respect for India and Indians has gone up. Indian passport carries a different kind of respect and credibility. We are a nation no longer bound by what others say.”

While measures by the government in recent years have helped, Mr. Dhankhar said future policies will have an even bigger impact on India’s standing. “What happened till now is remarkable, glorious and unthinkable. But what will happen now onwards every year will make us realise that we are on our way to attaining our age-old status of being leaders in every walk of life at a global benchmark,” he emphasised.