India Forum receives recognition

Warwick University’s first ever India Forum took place on 3 and 4 March. The Saturday programme entailed talks from high profile figures followed by a student panel debate. Sunday involved a mock parliament session, allowing audience members to engage with issues discussed over the weekend.

The inaugural event, ‘Unraveling India’, opened with a performance by members of the Indian Classical Dance Society. Chief Coordinator Sanjana Haribhakti gave a welcome speech and then went on to outline the aims of the event, “to address this inherent and increasing fascination with India” whilst giving an “honest and balanced account” of the country. She spoke of her hopes that the student panel debate would give students a unique opportunity to engage with the forum and “harness an academic interest in India.”

Haribhakti accredited Professor Abhinay Muthoo, Head of the Economics Department at the University, with making the forum become a real possibility. She ended by commenting: “If you leave ‘Unraveling India’ asking more questions than when you came, this, I believe, will be our biggest success.”

Vice-Chancellor Nigel Thrift applauded the student organisers’ initiative in bringing about the event, but also identified the important support from the Department of Economics. He particularly commended Professor Muthoo’s “interest and dedication to the forum.”

Thrift focused on ‘unraveling’ Warwick’s association with India, which he described as 35 years of “serious interaction.” Thrift highlighted the important Indian presence within the University: 573 of Warwick’s students are Indian, with an eight percent intake increase from India this academic year. Thrift also celebrated the fact that the University also holds 60 Indian members of staff.

Thrift commented that, based on these figures, what he dubbed the “Warwick-India relationship” was a deeply important one. Thrift recognised the forum’s importance in line with India’s emerging position as “one of the world’s power houses.”

An impressive array of Speakers followed. Rajiv Pratap Rudy, MP for India’s second largest political party Bharatiya Janata, discussed India’s economic position. He highlighted economists’ extremely positive forecasts for India in the next few years. Within this context, Rudy discussed India’s political system as well as its flaws and inequalities.

Harish Salve, former Solicitor General of India, presented on the Supreme Court, and asked if judicial review justified policy making in India. He criticized politicians for hiding behind the Court to avoid making decisions or responsibility.Other speakers included Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Professor Amit Chaudhuri and Professor Sumantra Bose.

One attendee, second-year Management student Himanshu Gupta commented on the event: “The speakers are very nice, but I wanted the speakers to discuss the economy more.”

Given the calibre of speakers at the event, it is likely that audience turnout was lower than expected. However, Haribhakti highlighted the event’s infancy and anticipated the forum becoming a annual event: “For the first time, it’s a good response. I’m sure next year will be sold out! It’s definitely succeeded the expectations of the execs; I’m very proud of everyone involved.”