NEW DELHI: India has severely impacted the West African nation of Ghana by her rapid rise, exponential growth and remarkable self-reliance, revealed Samuel Nartey George, a Parliamentarian from Ghana, on Sunday in New Delhi.
George was astonished by India’s success in recent years and wondered if India can leapfrog the fast-marching giant China.
Speaking on the concluding day of a ten-day long Gen-Next Democracy Network initiative by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), George, the young representative of National Democratic Congress of Ghana, said, “How India help to grow own food, how India achieve food sustainability and distribute to about millions of people. It’s soft power diplomacy.”
“Will India be the next China? And the response I got India believes in the brotherhood of nations. We don’t want aid. We would like to partner with India, learn to be self-sufficient like India. We can also do it. Together we can rise as the next solution. Working together we can make this happen,” the young MP from Ghana said.
An eclectic contingent of 27 youths from 6 countries – Bangladesh, Brunei, Ghana, Nepal, Norway and Peru – attended the ten-day-long orientation programme between May 20 to 29.
“Our human resource is one of the best in the world. We want people to come and do business in Ghana in the areas like hospitality or tourism. We are happy that India is leading the charge of inclusion, mutual respect and sovereignty,” remarked Fatimatu Abubakar, Deputy Minister of Information from Ghana, an attendee of the youth workshop.
Dr Navreet Kaur, who came from Norway, said, “Norway is looking towards India when it comes to renewable resources like solar energy. I would look forward to seeing the future between my motherland India and fatherland Norway flourish.”
Manushi Yami Bhattarai, daughter of former Prime Minister of Nepal Baburam Bhattarai, who lived in disguise as Asmita Singh in India for 10 years during the Maoist insurgency, also attended the Gen-Next Democracy Network initiative.
Osama Bin Noor, founder of Youth Opportunities and Saim Amir Faisal Sami, Financial Economist and Professor in the Department of Economics, North South University, Bangladesh and Sigrid Tesoro Bazan Narro, Member of Parliament from Peru, are among the attendees.
In a tweet, Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, ICCR president, said, “Interacted in a Feedback Session with talented, vibrant & young leaders across the democracies from multiple continents, visiting India under @iccr_hq ‘s #GenNextDemocracyNetwork in Mumbai.”
The delegation also visited the Parliament, Pradhanmantri Sangharalaya, Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Vivekananda International Foundation, Indira Gandhi National Centres for the Arts and the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi. The delegates also attended thematic lectures on Indian Democracy, Indian Culture and Civilization, 75 years of India’s Independence and Antyodaya: Welfare and Empowerment of the Marginalized and Women during their ten-day long visit to India.
On Tuesday, the delegation met the Union minister of state for external affairs and culture Meenakshi Lekhi at a luncheon.
The delegation also attended various Institutions of eminence in Pune and Mumbai, where they met the Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari.