Bhopal: Minister for Woman and Child Development Archana Chitnis congratulating the representatives of 11 countries for restoring Asianism in India-ASEAN Youth Summit said that we had lost our identity owing to expansion of colonialism due to historical reasons. It is praiseworthy to restore it in a brief period of 70 years. Representatives of Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei besides India are taking part in the summit organized by Union Ministry of External Affairs, Madhya Pradesh Government and India Foundation in Bhopal.
Chitnis mentioned that Asia has been the source of spirituality and humanity. We are living in such an era when the world is focusing itself from west to east due to circumstances. There is a need for mutual efforts to express Asian dignity and to strengthen our national identity. She was addressing the session on the subject ‘Polity and Governance’ in the summit. Chitnis further said that accountability, transparency, public participation are main foundation of better Polity and Governance. Progress, positive atmosphere, and changeability are components of progressive governance. Moreover, she stated that results could only be obtained by clarity in objectives and from the capacity to work under mission mode. Chitnis said that time limit fixed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for implementation of various schemes will pave way for India to reach new heights of development till 2022.
Deliberations on mutual relations of ASEAN countries in the field of culture and civilization took place in the summit. In this discourse held under the chairmanship of Vice Chancellor- Nalanda University Prof. Sunaina Singh, the ADG Administration Police Head Quarters, Bhopal Smt. Anuradha Shankar Singh expressed her views on local culture and identity of ASEAN countries. She laid emphasis for initiative on requirements of local people and for protection and conservation of their life style. She said that the form of religious rituals of the followers of the same religion is different at local level. This diversity is an expression of peculiar localism. Smt. Shankar further mentioned that whether it is India or Indonesia, all the countries of South East Asia have given a respect to the diversity, which certifies immensity of thoughts of people living in these countries.
Pali Language Expert Ramniwas and Moolchand Gautam of Indonesia also expressed their views. Chief Economic Advisor of Ministry of Finance, Government of India Sanjeev Sanyal said that at the time of colonialism of ASEAN countries, the way the history, culture and about civilization of these countries was written and told by the imperialism countries to protect their interest is not completely correct. There is a need for interpretation by these countries linking them with their civilization and culture. Detail discussions on trade, political, social and cultural relations developed historically between India and ASEAN countries took place in this session.
Moreover, deliberations on Constant Development Objectives of UN in the chairmanship of UNICEF representative to India Dr Yasmin Ali Haque, on Innovations and Entrepreneurship in the chairmanship of Shourya Doval- Director India Foundation and on Digital and I.T. Connectivity under the chairmanship of Senior Director of Microsoft Research India in parallel groups took place in the session. Later on in the afternoon, presentations on Tourism Policy and Tourism Sector by Madhya Pradesh Tourism department, on Sanitation by Commissioner Indore Municipal Corporation and presentation on Smart City was given by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation.