Change or Be Damned

The finest minds from politics, business, media and diplomacy gathered to make sense of
India tomorrow. Their verdict: India has the potential to be an Asian power, what is
required is political vision.

By S. Prasannarajan with Rohit Saran and Shishir Gupta

A nation is an idea that continues to be renewed by the passage of time. History adds
adjectives to it, the present provides new anxieties and the future is invariably captured in
that all-time favourite four letter word-hope. The idea of India is in permanent evolution,
like any other living democracy with a rich civilisational identity, and making sense of it
is a challenging intellectual enterprise. That is what India Today continues to do. Its first
international conclave-India Tomorrow 2002: Opportunities and Threats-was an
ambitious extension of that enterprise beyond the pages of the magazine. For three days
(January 20-22), some of the finest minds in politics, economics, diplomacy, business and
media converged on Delhi to comprehend the idea that is India, its power and
possibilities, its sweep and scope, its vulnerabilities and vitality, its fears and, most
significantly, its future. Its place in the world.

This is what has emerged: even if the future is not burning bright, it is not bleak either,
despite the darkness of the backdrop against which the conclave was held-post-9/11,
more intimately for India post-12/13. As Editor-in-Chief Aroon Purie said in his welcome
speech, "The irony is that after 100 years the world is free from any conflict of the great
powers. Today's conflicts are local and regional. Unfortunately, we (India) happen to be
one of them." It is for India to seize the moment and make the best use of it-politically,
economically, strategically. The key word, as stressed by former US vice-president Al
Gore, is "change". A conclave can't change the world, or India. But it can give enough
ideas for change. The India Today Conclave saw the confluence as well as combat of
ideas, with 243 participants, 16 speakers and 11 sessions on various aspects of security
and terror: political management, diplomatic challenges, strategic perceptions and
economic opportunities.

At the end of it, the mood was not one of hope abandoned. The recurring theme was:
change or be damned. For, the force of history and the laws of the market have shifted old
paradigms, and thrown up brand new challenges for nations like India. Good governance,
political vision and the courage to defy the burden of the past ... suggestions for a
redeeming Indian dawn were many at the conclave, a word which, as Purie said the first
day, was originally used to describe the meeting of cardinals to elect a new pope. Well,
there was no divine election, but, metaphorically at least, white smoke emerged from the
India Today Conclave on the third day. Hope is not elsewhere, it is here and now, in
today's India, if it has the will and the vision, India tomorrow will be a power worthy of
bigger celebrations.

Al Gore
Former Vice-President, United States of America
 Al Gore, in his own introductory words at the conclave, was
supposed to be the next president. "This is a time of
transformation." Though Gore was talking about his life after
power, his statement could very well have been about the
geopolitical situation. Despite the endearing anecdotes of self-
mockery, the former vice-president's keynote address was
quite presidential and the style was that of a reborn
THE REBORN communicator.
COMMUNICATION:
Gore address the gala The relationship between India and Pakistan may be one of
dinner hyphenated tension, but that didn't stop Gore from celebrating
the "biggest change" in the Indo-US engagement: "Here is a fantastic opportunity for
both the countries to put the past behind. We are the largest democracies in the world."
Time to get past the Cold War mindset of "triangular relationship"-India, the US and the India is a
former Soviet Union-and move on with the common task of "managing change". There is rising power
a new opening for "we are both leading it powers in the world". In Gore's view, destined to
biotechnology is the area where India may shine in the coming years. The former vice- play a major
president-all the more distinctive nowadays because of the new gravitas provided by a role in world
post-election beard-has turned his first Indian visit into an occasion for appreciation and affairs.
admiration: a big thank you for the Indian diaspora in America, the highest earning ethnic
group; thank you again for the post-9/11 emotional counselling to troubled Americans
over telephone ... for him, it was an India stretching from Mahatma Gandhi to Narayana
Murthy, a land of possibilities, "a rising world power" destined to play a major role in the
affairs of the world.

All the more decisive at the moment because India has become a frontline state against
terrorism. "We both are experiencing terror." And Gore, who has a knack for moving
from the humorous to the cerebral with ease, gave a psycho-sociological interpretation to
the terror of radical Islam. "We as nations too feel rejected if our offering to the world is
not accepted. It is a primal feeling"-a geopolitical extension of the biblical story of Cain
and Abel. Radical Islam is steeped in that sense of rejection. Also at work is "memory as
present reality". It is a civilisational problem, and in radical Islam, the remembrance of
the glorious past has become a current tragedy. In India tomorrow, Gore sees only
triumph, which can, of course, be made greater by political morality and leadership
vision, by learning to change.

L.K. Advani
Home Minister of India
 What President Musharraf has
said with regard to terrorism
originating from Pakistan and
aimed at Jammu and Kashmir
seems tactical. It does not indicate
The subject was "My India: the vision for the any strategic shift of approach.
future". The speaker was worthy of the subject. We have, therefore, made it clear
Though L.K. Advani, the strongman among Indian that we shall judge Pakistan's
nationalists, was characteristically modest ("I am sincerity and commitment to fight
not a philosopher or visionary but a man of day-to- terrorism only after we have seen
day political activity"), it was the vision thing that its corresponding action on the
dominated his India of tomorrow. Long ago, on the ground.
eve of the Independence, he found an inspiring idea
of India in the radio broadcast of Sri Aurobindo: "... Our cynicism and scepticism
India was arising, not to serve her own material about Pakistan runs so deep that
interests only, to achieve expansion, greatness, nice-sounding words are no longer
power and prosperity ... and certainly not like enough. India has been bled by
others to acquire domination of other peoples, but cross-border terrorism for far too
to live also for God and the world as a helper and long. We have also been betrayed
leader of the whole human race." It may sound far too often. On top of this
Utopian, but then what is a vision "if it does not experience has come the terrorist
have the power of a dream?" Terror continues to attack of December 13 on our
puncture that dream. Parliament by organisations
sheltered and patronised by
It didn't need a remote reminder the day Advani Pakistan's ISI. It was an attack on
spoke. That morning's attack on the USIS in the temple of our democracy ... as
Kolkata provided an eerie immediacy to the vision far as India is concerned,
and cold realism of Advani's words. "We in India Pakistan-sponsored cross-border
have accepted the reality of Pakistan. However, I terrorism crossed the Laxman
often wonder whether successive ruling Rekha on that day.
establishments in Pakistan have accepted the reality
of a secular, democratic and united India." Doesn't We resolved on that day to put a
look like it. For, throughout the last two decades decisive end to cross-border
Pakistan has been sponsoring terrorism against terrorism. We also decided that
India. In 1977, when he visited Pakistan as a our response to the challenge of
minister, he could walk around in Karachi without cross-border terrorism was going
any security, he could go to his ancestral home, his to be different from what it has
school, and to the shop where he used to eat his been so far. We took many
favourite palak pakora. diplomatic, political and other
initiatives in the wake of
A war has "Everything has changed. Today the December 13 to convey our
been difference is due to the new evil called resolve to Pakistan.
inflicted terrorism." It is not about Jammu and L.K.ADVANI
on us for Kashmir, sorry. "Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India. That is my
two constitutional oath. Also, PoK is a part of India." Pakistan doesn't accept this
decades. difference in perception. And he told General Pervez Musharraf in Agra that
Should our peace should not be held hostage to this perception. Still, people continue to
response ask him, "Is there going to be an Indo-Pak war?" His answer is: "A war has
change? been inflicted on us for two decades. Should our response change or not?
After December 13, the Cabinet has decided enough is enough." Still, "we
accept Pakistan as a sovereign country". And the Advani vision: "A confederation of
India and Pakistan."

Fareed Zakaria
Editor of Newsweek's international editions

There are two paths to great
powerdom in modern history: the
political path and the economic
path. India has by and large
chosen to attempt the political
path ... It is, I believe a
treacherous, fragile and ultimately
unenduring path.
The much more difficult path is to
modernise one's economy, to
modernise one's politics, one's
society and this path has always
seemed much less attractive, I
would not say this to India but to
the foreign policy elites of India ...aware? He doesn't think so. "Stop
that has been to my mind one of
the great tragedies of India's role
in the world over the last half
century. This is a new
opportunity. You have the
attention of the world, you have
the attention of the US. The point
is to do something with it. And
that requires diplomacy,
balancing acts ... seizing this
opportunity and not being held
back by phobias and encrusted
ideologies of the past.
FAREED ZAKARIA
Fareed Zakaria, the brainy editor of Newsweek's
international editions and the former managing
editor of Foreign Affairs, the prevailing bible of
policy mavens, has already established himself as a
formidable conservative intellectual in the American
ideas market. At the session on "Security and terror:
How can India and its neighbours cope with it?", he
was not kind to India, still steeped in
The
old stereotypes and new illusions.
greatest
"During the 1990s, the world we had
cultures
come to understand was a world
are the
described by globalisation ... and
ones that
politically there was a sense that the
were able
1990s represented the end of history."
to blend
The paradigm has shifted. Is India
with the
world.
going alone. The world community is
extending an offer. Work with the rest of the world,"
he said. Zakaria said that Pakistan after President
Musharraf's landmark January 12 speech had made
India's Kashmir policy that much easier. It was time
Delhi responded to political extremism and
violence. "The Kashmiris have been denied political
and economic opportunities for too long." His
formula: modernise the society. His co-panelist,
Naresh Chandra, argued for a stronger legal
framework to deal with terrorism.
Jaswant Singh
External Affairs Minister of India

As usual, Jaswant Singh was more professorial than pragmatic while

elaborating on the "new frontiers of diplomacy", his historical reference
points varying from Lord Curzon to Napoleon the Great to Ibn Khaldum to
the Mughal decay to the Battle of Plassey. Take this: "What are we
Map-
witnessing? Not certainly the end of history, but without doubt the
making has
beginning of the end of a phase of political geography of the earth.
come to an
Physical frontiers are not by any means irrelevant, they are, in any event,
end, almost.
now largely inviolate. Map-making has come to an end, well, almost ... A
But change
certain fixity has arrived in the frontier geography of the globe. But change
persists, in
other
spheres.
persists, in other spheres, though. And that is where our new frontiers lie." So goodbye
Mr Cartographer, and welcome the diplomatist of change.

Singh was less abstract during the interactive session. He even disagreed with Jammu and
Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, who advocated that both India and Pakistan
accept the Line of Control as the boundary to settle the Kashmir issue. "I am a servant of
Parliament, whose resolution on the issue is explicit. Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir is a part
of India. This has to be recognised by Pakistan." On the General's speech, he was more
sarcastic than enthusiastic: "Most of what the good General said related to reforms within
Pakistan ... a step long overdue ... well, good luck to him ... It is not for me to judge how
a military dictator reforms his society and how fast ... He remains a military dictator
although some of you refer to him as a president, which creates an illusion." The reality
is: "A constantly new frontier of diplomacy is the territory of change ... that is what our
diplomacy has to conquer". Maybe the soldier can relax, the diplomatist is at his idealistic
best.

Ashraf Jehangir Qazi and J.N. Dixit

Pakistani High Commissioner to India and Former Indian Foreign Secretary

It was a kind of Indo-Pak face off with two diplomats in combat positions-
Musharraf's
Ashraf Jehangir Qazi and J.N. Dixit. Though they had the most difficult
speech was
question to answer-"Can India and Pakistan be friends?"-both were eager
momentous
to play down the antagonist's role. For Qazi, the grammar of friendship
but it has to
was there in Musharraf's "historic speech" of January 12. He said it was
be
now India's turn to respond to Musharraf's "pronouncement" by entering
translated
into a self-sustained, negotiated settlement on all bilateral issues. The two
on the
nuclear neighbours could not afford to remain foes as the "survival
ground.
imperative will get us going". "We hope that India takes note of actions on
the ground ... Take your time. Do not question our sincerity. Do not move the goal posts."
Qazi's offering was an abridged version of Musharraf's.

Dixit was not all that optimistic. He agreed with Qazi that Kashmir was "central to the
existence of India". The General's speech was "momentous", he agreed there too. But it
was for Pakistan to get it translated speedily on to the ground. Difficult, for Pakistan still
suffers from a "crisis of collective identity" as it is yet to come to terms with its identity
as an Islamic republic. He had some advice for the Indian leadership too: stop being
preachy towards Pakistan, accept it for what it is. And he reminded Qazi's boss: "Kashmir
can't run in your veins, it is not historically or biologically correct."
India's political process is the Yashwant Sinha & Stanley Fischer
biggest hurdle to attaining a high Finance Minister of India and Senior Advisor to
rate of economic growth. All Managing Director, International Monetary
political parties oppose whenever Fund
or wherever they are in opposition
what they do when they are in the How can India break out of the Third World? That
government. Populism has was the poser put to Yashwant Sinha and Stanley
become endemic because there are Fischer. Sinha was candid and circumspect. He
elections round the year- warned that poor governance is a great danger
panchayat, municipal, assembly looming ahead-both at the Centre and state levels.
or parliamentary. The time has Unless the quality of governance is improved, the Poor
come for all political parties to put people would suffer. He suggested an all-party governance
an end to competitive populism. initiative to improve governance. He counted two is a great
People should expose politicians more imperatives to India's advancement: improved danger
and parties indulging in populism efficiency in resource use, and a faster and better looming
... We also have to learn to rise adaptation to globalisation. Ideas drive economic ahead.
above vested interests. Every growth and India should be able to adopt a good
interest group wants its concerns idea generated anywhere in the world. He asked the
to be addressed first, even at the industry not to persist with the demand for
expense of others. India will be a protection and get ready for tougher global
changed nation if we learn to competition.
stand in queue.
YASHWANT SINHA The Indophile Fischer, who delivered his last speech
as an International Monetary Fund official at the
conclave and will join CitiBank soon, delved on five key areas of action for India-
embracing globalisation, structural reforms in product and labour markets, education,
strengthening of the financial sector and fiscal consolidation. The measures he suggested
would tax any policymaker. But he was sure that it can be done, and it must be done. His
warning: be ready for tomorrow, for tomorrow will come.

Farooq Abdullah
Chief Minister, Jammu and Kashmir

Farooq Abdullah was emotionally bold in his keynote dinner speech on

the inaugural day: the Line of Control (loc) should be converted into the
international border between India and Pakistan. But the Indian leadership
didn't take the initiative, he complained. Former foreign secretary J.N.
Dixit corrected him: the government had proposed the conversion twice- The LoC
first during the V.P. Singh regime and the second time when P.V. should be
Narasimha Rao was the prime minister. Abdullah then wondered why converted
India didn't cross the loc during Kargil. Again, he was corrected, this time into the
by former army chief General V.P. Malik: India was prepared, but the international
decision against crossing was a political decision, and was perhaps border.
justified.
Laurence Brahm and C. Dasgupta
China Specialist and Former Indian Ambassador to China

The reforms programme Speaking for China is one of the easiest of jobs. Its
undertaken in the wake of the spectacular economic performance speaks for itself.
balance of payments crisis in the But Laurence Brahm made good of his job by
early 1990s reawakened what highlighting how political pragmatism has
Keynes called the 'animal spirits' underpinned China's economic miracle. At a session
of India's entrepreneurs and gave on "How will Indian and China stack up?" he
a sharp boost to growth. But that clarified that the driving force behind the economic
economic momentum has not been revolution is political foresight.
Political
maintained ... I have seen what Exploding the myth that China is a
pragmatism
happens to too many countries in communist nation, he said as far
has
the phase in which India is now-in back as 1987 China had officially
underpinned
which the government is renounced communism for socialism
China's
borrowing heavily and few and in 1992 Deng Xiaoping had
economic
adverse macroeconomic converted China into a "socialist
miracle.
consequences are visible to take market economy". These changes
any comfort from the present were not just cosmetic, but were associated with
fiscal situation ... India doesn't basic changes in economic policies. One of Deng's
need somebody from Washington lessons to present Chinese premier Zhu Rongji was
D.C. to come and tell what to do. that planning and market were two tools of resource
Indian policymakers know fully allocation, not of ideology. It's such pragmatism that
well about the important transformed China from a country where people
impediments to stronger growth. lined up for food, had to get a licence for bicycles
As to how to do what India has to and did not own TV sets to a country that is today
do, I would say what I had said a the world's largest producer of TV sets and many
decade: 'Just do it.' other goods.
STANLEY FISCHER
Still does China pose a threat to India? No, for a
threat is defined by hostile intentions plus military capability, says Chandrashekhar
Dasgupta. But there are still considerable strategic risks involved in the Indo-Chinese
relationship. Contingency plans will be required in the eventuality of political instability,
he said. A bigger Tiananmen Square maybe.

Bimal Jalan & Anil Ambani

Governor, Reserve Bank of India and Managing Director, Reliance Industries

A virtual death of geographic distances with the collapse in transport and

WTO is an
communication costs, a phenomenal rise of the role of services and
opportunity
speedier capital movement are three global changes of the last decade that
and India
Bimal Jalan thinks have enhanced India's growth potential immensely.
has to turn
India's destiny is now truly in its own hands, he said during the session on
it to its
India and the World Trade Organization (WTO). He was of the view that
advantage.
strategic issues must be distinguished from tactical ones in India's dealing
in WTO. Anil Ambani categorically said WTO is an opportunity, not a threat. But to turn
WTO agreements to our benefit, the government has to do a lot-from improving the
quality and reducing the cost of infrastructure to cutting interest rates. Ambani wondered
why those who rightly demand competitiveness and efficiency from the industry, don't
demand the same from the government.

Arun Jaitley and Digvijay Singh

Law and Company Affairs Minister of India Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh

From the time when an MP's letter was needed to get an out-of-turn
allotment of HMT watches to the profusion of choices for most consumer The way to
products, the Indian economy has come far enough not to be apologetic create a
about the reforms. Starting on that note, Arun Jaitley wondered if larger
democracy is a roadblock to reforms and whether Indians are pro-reform. constituency
At a session on "Doing business in India: The political dimension", he said for reforms
politicians are the ones who market reforms and the way to create a larger is to market
constituency for reforms is by marketing success stories like the telecom success
reforms. He advised politicians to choose stories.
between their legacy or longevity. Digvijay
Singh was equally pragmatic. He suggested
the prime minister should call an all-party
meeting to end populism, which is stifling
reforms.

Fusion of the Senses MODEL MUSE: Laxmi

(left) with Jon (centre)
After so many hours of brainstorming, everyone needed a festive night of the senses. The
gala fusion evening at Ashok Hotel was exactly that-from the fusion of ideas to the fusion
of arts. The extravaganza of sight and sound could not have been more extravagant,
stretching from Anand Jon's haute couture display to the music concert of Ganesh,
Kumaresh and Taufiq. Anand Jon, the name itself is a fusion, and the boy from
Thiruvananthapuram who has made it big in New York, was having fun on the ramp, and
one of the models was Padma Laxmi, Salman Rushdie's newest muse, apart from being
other things. The fun was all about the western made exotic by the Oriental. For the
musical trio, the tune of the night was wonder, bliss and peace, and the wonder was there
in the appreciation of the chief guest, Al Gore. Even the hotel shed its sarkari image that
night to party in great style.