Warwick India Forum 2013
Warwick India Forum
Warwick India Forum was setup in 2011 with the goal of generating an interest in various matters relating to India - ranging from its rapid economic growth, controversial politics and foreign policy, unique culture, and even its rich history. Each year sees the forum adopt a new theme and a new crop of speakers talking about ideas and issues key to the Indian story.
India is nothing short of fascinating. A land of 1.2 billion people constituting the world’s largest democracy; a nation with a history that has followed the contours of ancient civilizations; a nation divided by miles, centuries of progress, languages, ethnicities, religions and cultures; a nation that stands proudly against all odds before the world, as a miracle of sorts, with soaring growth rates even in a time of economic crisis. India means so many different things to so many different people, and put simply, Warwick India Forum tries to explain and question just these differences that make up today’s India.
Warwick India Forum 2012, our inaugural event held in March 2012, was very proud to hold a plethora of engaging and enriching talks, and played host to some of the most accomplished figures in the Indian story today – speakers on the day included prominent economist and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former Solicitor Seneral of India, Mr. Harish Salve, and Professor of International and Comparative Politics at the London School of Economics, Sumantra Bose, amongst others. It was a truly enjoyable, thought provoking and inspiring experience for every attendee, and proved to be a massive success amongst both, the student body and the faculty at Warwick.
A Tryst with Destiny
“At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.” - Jawaharlal Nehru, 1947
On 15th August 1947, India began her ‘tryst with destiny’; 65 years later we at the Univer- sity of Warwick seek to answer the question, how far have we come in fulfilling that des- tiny? Have we managed to achieve the lofty goals set by the architects of our nation? Or
have we chartered our own path and moved in a completely different direction from what the founders of our nation intended?
Some would argue that we are once again at a turning point in history, with global at- tention focused on India. Now a nuclear power, vying for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, India has achieved a lot in the past 65 years. However, if we are to achieve the greatness that we aspire to, there are still several hurdles to overcome: poverty, rising inequality, communal, religious and sectarian differences and the ever constant looming threat of nuclear war over Kashmir.
What does the future hold? Hopefully the discussions during this weekend will bring us a little closer to this answer.