Retired Army Chief and Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh today said that in last four years a new ray of hope has developed among people that changes can be brought at government level.
Highlighting the change in people’s mindset, Singh delivering a lecture as part of ‘Desh Ki Baat Modiji Ki Saath’ at Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ranchi and Administrative Training Institute (ATI), Singh said, “The government in last four years has initiated several schemes aiming to reach to people living at bottom of society, which has generated a ray of hope and aspirations among people. The country has never seen a leadership that talks about toilets, houses to all by 2020 and electricity to all from Red Fort. These schemes have generated a sense of hope and aspirations among the people.”
The Minister said that the present leadership has tried to address such issues (toilets, houses and electricity), which the successive governments in last seventy years have failed to provide to people.
The minister also asked the management students whether they can see a change in government functioning in last four years to which many students positively responded.
Giving an example of UNESCO recognizing Kumbh Mela as India intangible heritage, Singh said, “Kumbh Mela deserving recognition as India’s intangible heritage is a step which establishes that country across the globe are giving importance to India.”
He said, “Kumbh Mela getting UNESCO tag was not an easy affair. For this we had invited ambassadors and high commissioners from different embassies in Delhi to Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj (Allahabad). After the visit of ambassadors and high commissioners to Kumbh we had requested officials from these countries to send at least one representative from their country to Kumbh. Representatives from various countries on their visit to Kumbh Mela were glad to see the preparation which included both the leadership will and management in holding such a grand event.”
As the discussion was with management students, Singh who had donned army uniform for more than 40 years underlined difference between leadership and managerial skill a person should possess. Singh was delivering a lecture at Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ranchi and Administrative Training Institute (ATI) to students and bureaucrats respectively.
Singh said, “A person having leadership skills can convince other what you want to do, while managerial skill is managing a work or job.”
Singh also gave the examples of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, RSS ideologue and recent Bharat Ratna recipient Nanaji Deshmukh and Anna Hazare highlighting the leadership skill they possessed.
At an hour long discussion-cum-interaction with students at IIM Ranchi, the external affairs minister also replied to students queries. The students asked the minister about recent air strikes in Balakot to Modi government strong action against terrorist groups operating in country.