The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today said, “Political parties in the country will have to bring down the political temperature. The dialogue between political parties cannot be a confrontation — the dialogue has to be soothing. Democracy is defined, friends, by dialogue and discourse.”
He further added, “India is a thriving federal society where there has to be sync between the Centre and the States. Dialogue between leaders and political parties is vital — absence of dialogue will not be good for our national mindset.”
Interacting with industry leaders and entrepreneurs in Bengaluru today, he stated, “Issues of national security, issues connected with our nationalism, and issues connected to our development must be viewed from a national prism, not a partisan one. I do not doubt the political sagacity of people across the spectrum — they are available in all political parties.”
Invoking the Vedantic principle of freedom of expression, the Vice-President remarked, “Democratic values cannot be described without freedom of expression and debate. If someone attacks, frustrates or regulates your right to expression, then there is a deficiency in democracy.”
Commenting on industrial trends, he made a sharp observation, “People in industry, unlike politics, are satisfied by balance sheets. But greenfield projects are not emerging at the pace they should. Please think, converge in clusters to ensure equitable employment and growth.”
Calling on the corporate sector to share their profits with the farm sector, Shri Dhankhar said,“Time has come for corporates to share their profits with the farm sector. Your investment in research or farmland is not charity — it is a gainful investment.”
Speaking on farm-sector integration with industry, the Vice-President, drawing from his own background, said, “I come from a farming community. The farm sector plays a critical role in the nation’s growth trajectory. But at the moment, it is only producing agro-products — it is not part of the marketing chain.”
Calling for industry-farm convergence, he added, “Industry must brainstorm to bring greater synergy with the farm sector. Farmers need to be hand-held; agripreneurs must emerge, but they cannot do so without support.”
On the future of India’s growth, Shri Dhankhar underscored the role of research and innovation, “We must engage in research of the highest order. Our research capacity will define Bharat’s global standing. Our technological innovation will define how secure we are.”
Touching upon strategic peace, he observed, “Peace is fundamental to business and people’s harmony. But peace is never bargained — it comes from strength. The greatest peace is secured when we are ever prepared for war.”
Highlighting the evolution of industry’s role in national security, he noted, “There was a time when industry only manufactured armoury. Now, it must lead in technology. Research is the spine of long-term growth.”
Declaring that Bharat is on an unstoppable rise, the Vice-President stated, “Bharat is no longer a country of potential — it is a country on the rise. ‘Viksit Bharat’ is no longer our dream — it is our objective. But we must take a quantum leap by increasing per capita income manyfold.”
Urging a practical outlook, he added, “We must juxtapose our economic status with our demographic size — 1.4 billion people. On empirical estimates, there must be an eightfold increase in per capita income.”
Governor of Karnataka, Shri Thawarchand Gehlot, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri D.K. Shivakumar, MP Shri Lahar Singh, Minister, Govt of Karnataka, Dr M.C. Sudhakar, and other dignitaries were also present.
