Pictures by Dayananda Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network
New Delhi, Feb 24: Ronald Colaco, Philanthropist, NRE entrepreneur and Chairman of the International Federation of Karnataka Christian Associations termed former Prime Minster Dr Manmohan Singh as the true architect of India’s economic growth and its emergence as liberal global economic leader.
He was addressing the invitees at the “Who is Bharat Mata” book release programme held in New Delhi on February 22, 2020. The book written by Prof Purushottam in English and translated to Kannada by Prof Radha Krishna was released by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.
Ronald Colaco hailed Dr Manmohan Singh saying the people of this country will remain indebted to him for ushering in the much needed economic reforms at a time when the country was on the brink of financial collapse.
“The bold steps you had taken in reversing major economic policies completely 180 degrees by implementing, introducing and implementing economic liberalization, globalization, modernization, electronization, computerization at a time when India had pledged its gold and borrowed from others, paved the way for India’s rapid economic development. You carried out these economic reversals s despite stiff opposition from almost all political parties then”, Colaco stated.
Colaco credited Dr Manmohan Singh of providing the country a modern automatic and well equipped ‘economic bakery’ so that cakes can be produced in the bakery and distributed. ”Whichever successive government is in power it can simply use this economic bakery and produce cakes and distribute. Of course, they can colour, shape, size or flavour. Nevertheless, it is a well-known fact that you are the true architect of the rapid economic transformation that India has been able to achieve”, Colaco pointed out. .
Ronald Colaco congratulated Prof Purushotham Agrawal and said the book has been well accepted and admired by scholars across the world. He thanked Prof Purushotham for bringing out the book in English. He said “with this book you are instrumental in making us revisit Pt Nehru for sure. He is the longest-serving Prime Minister of our country who laid a strong foundation for India’s economic development, national integration, unity and tolerance”, he told Prof Purushotham.
Recalling his close bond spanning over 48 years with Prof Radhakrishna Colaco said that in 1972 Prof Radha was the first faculty in the English department in the college where Colaco had joined as a student. He said Prof Radhakrishna “is a fine dramatist, a writer, a poet, a novelist, a columnist and he is a scholar in Indian classics. He is also a multilingual scholar, well versed in English, Kannada, Sanskrit, and Tulu. He has written and published 34 books apart from the 7 volume 5000 page book on Jain Mahapurana, which is in the pipeline for publication. He said that Prof Radha Krishna has served the cause of higher education for about 40 years and has also represented our country in many international forums on diverse issues."
"Prof Radhakrishna represented the country in several international forums. He was one of the long-standing Principals of India. He is also very sensitized public intellectual who always takes up liberal and democratic views on public causes."
"Many universities of Karnataka has decorated him with honorary doctorates. The Government of Karnataka recognised him with prestigious Rajyotsava award."
"We are blessed and thankful to Prof Purushottam, Agarwal for his book in English, Prof Radhakrishna for taking the mission further in bringing it in Kannada and Dr Manmohan Singhji for releasing the Kannada version of 'Who is Bharat Mata?' which is great honour to the 60 million Kannadigas, not only living in Karnataka but across the globe"
He further said, “At a time when the country is injected with controversies, mistrust, fake news, high social tension leading to divisions of its people and the society, hope reading and understanding of this book will help reduce the social tension that we are in and would also help us to live in peace and dignity with mutual respect to one another irrespective of caste, creed language and religion”.
The book “Who is Bharat Mata” is a collection of articles of Nehru from his books, his speeches, essays, interviews and letters of pre and post-independence years that give a glimpse of the contributions of Nehru to the country as its first and longest-serving Prime Minister.
The event presided over by former union minister and Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh.
Vimal Katariya president, All India Terapanti, Jain Youth Association, Nitin Sha, MD Sapna Book House, Dr Venkatachala Hegde, president Delhi Karnataka Sangha, Vasantha Shetty Bellare, president, Delhi Kannada Education Society, and others were also present.
Watch Video:
Also read: