GoAP committed to foster partnership, dialogue with people: CM
NAMSAI, 10 Jun: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday said that the state government is committed to fostering an environment of ‘jan bhagidari’ (people partnership) and ‘jan samvad’ (vox populi) to nurture and support active participation of civil society organisations.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the C20 summit here on Saturday morning, Khandu said, “We recognise the immense value the civil societies bring to the table. Their expertise, local knowledge and community-driven initiatives are invaluable assets for an inclusive and sustainable development.”
He lauded the C20 summit initiative, which he said would “serve as an exceptional platform for dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration among civil society organisations from around the world to promote social and economic development with the vision that no one is left behind.”
“As we celebrate the completion of nine years of ‘seva, sushasan and garib kalyan’ under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is on a mission to bring about a shared global future for all through the ‘amrit kaal’ initiative,” he said.
Khandu said that Arunachal has grown by leaps and bounds during the past few years and is seen as the most improved small state in infrastructure. He credited the “unparalleled progress” of the state to the unwavering dedication of civil society organisations.
“In Arunachal Pradesh, our engagement with civil society organisations takes a unique form through the active involvement of community-based organisations (CBO). Each year, as the state general budget is prepared, we ensure that the voices of these CBOs are not only heard but embraced with utmost respect and consideration. Their inputs provide us with a deep understanding of the needs and aspirations of various communities, enabling us to design inclusive and effective development strategies,” he said.
He informed that the state government held an interactive discussion with the CBOs on 12 April this year, which led to the signing of a joint 21-point vision document.
“To further deepen the partnership, I had the privilege of leading a delegation of CBOs on a transformative journey to Ahmedabad, the iconic Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat, and to New Delhi. This immersive experience served as a catalyst in envisioning a future filled with possibilities and empowering our CBOs to play a pivotal role in shaping the destiny of our state. The prime minister interacted with the members of the CBOs, which ignited a renewed passion and deepened our collective resolve to steer Arunachal Pradesh as the growth engine in India’s amrit kaal,” he said.
Talking about the achievements of the state, Khandu informed that “the state GSDP has more than doubled, per capita income increased by over 85 percednt, pace of road construction increased by nine times, hydropower energy generation multiplied manifold, built and upgraded hundreds of new schools, hospitals and airports, given a large fillip to agriculture and allied sectors, promoted ecotourism and sustainable tourism opportunities, besides maintaining a record recovery rate of over 99 percent during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
He added that the unprecedented growth and development achieved by the state “is testament to the powerful mantra of sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayas.”
“It is the collective endeavors of Team Arunachal which has made possible such transformative changes and has paved the way for a greater degree of collaboration and cooperation,” he said.
The C20 summit here Namsai is being attended by delegates from countries like Armenia, Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Mexico, Myanmar, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, the USA, and Venezuela, along with representatives of all CBOs Arunachal and civil society organisations.
Legislative Assembly Speaker PD Sona, who is also the chairman of the G20 programmes, spoke about the relevance of the C20 seminar in the state and said that “the people of Arunachal Pradesh are diverse in various aspects but live in mutual harmony and inclusiveness.”
“The theme ‘vasudeva kutumbakam’ (one life, one world) can be seen really working in the state. Diversity is here to stay and we need to work around it,” he said.
Vivekananda International Foundation chairman Swaminathan Gurumurthy opined that the themes of diversity, inclusion and mutual respect are interdependent.
“Diversity is the foundation of human life and religion, and acknowledges that people are different with different nuances, and this, along with inclusion and mutual respect, needs a global-level introspection and discussion,” he said.
“A profound topic like diversity should not be discussed in silos, but should be done along with virtues like human rights and modernity,” he said, adding that “diversity is not an individual virtue but a collective one.”
“We may not like it, but we need to accommodate diversity as a living virtue and not a virtue of library. Diversity is a living phenomenon,” he said.
Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture (VKIC) chairman Dr Joram Begi said that “a platform like C20 provides opportunities to voice people’s aspirations to an international platform like G20.”
The activities of G20 are mostly known through C20, and it reflects the importance that the government gives to jan bhagidari, he said.
“We have to remind the people that we need to renew the spirit of mutual respect and live in harmony with each other,” he added.
The conclave is being attended also by DCM Chowna Mein, former Thailand Deputy PM Korn Dabbaransi, Republic of Costa Rica High Commissioner Lakshmipriya PB, Venezuela High Commissioner Alfredo Caldera, and MLAs Chau Zingnu Namchoom and Jummum Ete Deori.
The DCM in his address said that the state offers “immense opportunities for cultural tourism, religious tourism, ecotourism and adventure tourism, covering activities like trekking, river rafting and mountaineering, as well as sports and research tourism, due to its rich bio- and cultural diversity.”
Besides stating that Arunachal has the capacity to generate 50,000 MW of hydroelectricity, he said that remarkable progress has been made in terms of connectivity under the BJP government.
He added, however, that “despite its tremendous potential, Arunachal Pradesh faces certain limitations in terms of marketing, agri-processing units, skilled manpower, and in research and development,” and sought intervention of private companies to “invest and establish industries such as agro-based industries, food processing units and other ventures and help to overcome these challenges.”
Deliberations on the themes of diversity, inclusion, mutual respect, and understanding in the context of differently-abled persons and gender issues, besides cultures and faiths of indigenous communities, were also organised on Saturday.
The summit is being organised by the VKIC, in collaboration with the state government. (CM’s PR Cell, DCM’s PR Cell & DIPR)
