1. Good
Afternoon to all of you! It is indeed a pleasure and privilege for me to be
amongst you.
2. It
is a great pleasure whenever I have such an opportunity to see the bright
faces, sparkling eyes and young minds of students filled with high hopes,
aspirations and a strong desire to make a change in the environment in which
they live.
3. Dear
students, your quest for innovation and yearning for positive change are the
Critical Mass and Centre-of-Gravity around which a Nation's hopes and
aspirations are built. By challenging society's mores, seeking the rationale of
ideologies and questioning systems and beliefs, you prevent society from
wilting into complacency. I am, therefore, delighted to be with you today.
4. My
delegations consists of Dr Jitendra Singh , Minister of State in the Office of
the Prime Minister of India, Shri Surjit Singh Ahluwalia ,Member of the Lok
Sabha - the House of the People and Shri Mansukh Mandaviya , Member of the
Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. We bring to you the good
will, love and affection of the people of India.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
5. I
am aware that the University of Ghana is one of the largest in Africa, and home
to one of the most vibrant student communities in Africa. The scholarship that
emanates from this University has contributed to the currents of change and
advancement in Ghana and other countries in your neighbourhood and beyond.
6. Friends,
today's robust and confident India is not an overnight phenomenon. Decades of
toil and the sacrifices of our leaders strengthened by the momentum generated
by hundreds of thousands of students and scholars are behind India's freedom
and rise; it is their innovations, discoveries, rock-solid determination and
self confidence, and more importantly a burning desire to serve the nation,
which has contributed to India's success.
7. Independent
India, after 1947, refused to simply replicate what the developed countries
were doing, nor did we follow blindly the models of development that might have
been successful elsewhere. We recognized that natural and financial resources
were only one side of the coin of development; but the other side is the quality
of human resource that alone can transform the natural resources into
prosperity and happiness of the people.
8. Distinguished
members of the Faculty and dear Students, you would be aware that since the
1960s, the Government of India, guided by her experience, has been sharing her
knowledge and skills with nations in Africa and other developing countries.
India's capacity-building programmes - Indian Technical and Economic
Cooperation Programme (ITEC) and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)
Scholarships scheme - have become household names across Africa. Every year,
250 Ghanaian government and semi-government officials receive training in India
while about 20 scholars pursue full-time under-graduate, Masters and Ph.D
programmes on scholarships. I have learned, to my delight, that students from
Ghana are rated by institutes and universities in India as the finest among all
foreign students. Please accept my hearty congratulations. Having recognized
Ghana's immense human resource potential, I am happy to announce that the
Government of India has decided to increase seat allocations for Ghana to 300
ITEC slots and increase the number of annual scholarships under other Indian
schemes to forty.
Distinguished
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. The
friendship between India and Ghana is rooted in our common history of struggles
against foreign domination and struggle for independence. Both our peoples
cherish the shared vision of our founding leaders and the values of democracy,
plurality, inclusiveness and human dignity. These commonalities have bound us
in a fraternal embrace. The measureless goodwill and the extent of familiarity
and affinity that exist between our two peoples defy geographical logic and
confound political scientists! No wonder our two governments work so closely
together on major international issues and in multilateral organizations
including the Commonwealth and the Non-Aligned Movement. By adapting our
bilateral relations to the present global context and the changing geo-political
dynamics of the present situation, we will be able to renew and nurture this
goodwill and affinity.
2. We
should recognize that challenges are an inevitable and integral part of the
developmental process. Today our nations face many similar challenges:
the goal
of eliminating poverty,
defeating
the scourge of international terrorism;
sustainable
development in harmony with our environment and eco-systems;
preserving
and further refining our democratic systems and strengthening our democratic
institutions;
adding
greater value to our resources and efficiently generating employment for our
youth.
We not only have to be watchful, but
have to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in confronting them. India, as a friend and
partner, is with you in this journey.
3. In
brief, there is a need for a paradigm shift in the way we conduct our relations
- while building further on the foundation of our mutual goodwill. We need to
define a new positive and create a brighter, innovative and updated narrative
of India-Ghana relations.
4. I
am confident that our youth – who are our leaders of tomorrow would fit in
seamlessly into this renewed and revised model of cooperation. By duly making
them stakeholders, we will succeed in reinvigorating our partnership and taking
it to a new level.
5. My
dear friends, I do believe that science and knowledge will simply remain a
scholarly preserve if it is not translated into wisdom that guides humanity
towards a better tomorrow. Education is like a lamp, brightly-lit, which should
show the way and enlighten many more lives. I would, therefore, call upon the
youth of Ghana to employ your learning and knowledge in the service of your
society and your nation. I am confident that the coming generations of this
great nation, the inheritors of the legacy of the great son of Ghana,
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, have the credentials to make their Nation proud. I have no
doubt that you will claim for Ghana the rightful place that it deserves in the
comity of Nations.
Distinguished Ladies and
gentlemen,
6. I
believe that Ghana is already moving in the right direction. Your democratic
credentials are the envy of many African countries; your rapid progress in
realising the Millennium Development Goals is commendable; your social and
religious harmony is exemplary and the peace and stability that prevails in
this country are your greatest assets. Your role in the integration of the
Economic Community of West African States is widely recognised. The exceptional
solidarity shown by Ghana in rendering their support to Ebola-affected
countries in Africa is worthy of admiration. However, no developing nation can
afford to be complacent. We should continue to strive and be watchful. The road
ahead is very long, and sometimes tortuous. Alone we may stumble, but together
we can go farther.
Ladies and gentlemen,
7. India
has suffered many challenges in its long history, and continues to confront
them. But we are ready to share our success and the expertise we have developed
in some key sectors with the people of Ghana under the umbrella of our
South-South cooperation programmes. This is one of the reasons why India
organized the Third India-Africa Forum Summit in October last year in New
Delhi. We want to enhance our developmental cooperation with Africa.
8. India
calls upon students and the faculty of this great university and others to take
full advantage of the scholarships and training opportunities announced by
India at the India Africa Forum Summit last year. The capacity building
dimension of India-Africa relations has been vastly expanded to include
research in various fields such as agriculture, bio-technology and other
subjects of relevance to your country.
9. In
this context , I would like to commend two eminent centres of learning in Ghana
for their role in nurturing an institutional relationship with India: the first
is the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Kumasi, which has
been coordinating the Pan-African e-network Programme, a brainchild of my
illustrious predecessor, the Late Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. The second is the
India-Ghana Kofi Annan Centre of ICT Excellence in Accra, which, I am happy to
note, has been imparting ICT skills to the youth of Ghana and also other
countries in this region. I am looking forward to visiting this Centre tomorrow
morning.
10. My
dear distinguished friends, let us pause and take a look at the present day
geo-political global scenario. Outdated structures cannot resolve problems of
today. Positive transformation cannot be brought about by archaic systems and concepts.
The United Nations, established in the wake of the 2nd World War
cannot effectively respond to the rapidly evolving international challenges
that we face today. It is imperative that the organs of the United Nations
should keep pace with the changing times. A country of India's size which
houses every sixth citizen of the world and the entire African continent do not
have a place in the permanent membership of the Security Council. Reform and
change of the United Nations is inevitable.
11. Let
me conclude quoting from Gandhi the Mahatma, the Father of the Indian Nation,
whose statue I have had the honour of unveiling in the precincts of this
University today : Gandhiji had exhorted us against:
‘’Wealth without work; pleasure
without conscience; knowledge without character; commerce without morality;
science without humanity; worship without sacrifice; and politics without
principles.’’
12.
There is no better counsel than the
above for the youth, the future leaders of our two countries. I wish you all
success in your future endeavours. The world belong to you bright young men and
women and the entire community wants you to make the change you desire to see
the in the world.
Thank you.
******
AKT/NT/SBP