Even though External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said in India’s G20 presidency year, the country is getting “world ready” and the world is getting “India ready”, the biggest opportunity which was placed before the world during the recent Raisina Dialogue at New Delhi before the foreign ministers of all the leading countries of the world, which included, Russia, China, US, India, UK etc could not reach to any conclusion to issue a joint press communiqué. This clearly indicated that the world remains divided on issue like the Russia-Ukraine war and even climate change. The issues which affect the common people like food scarcity, proper healthcare, basic human rights fell in the backdrop in such an important forum which the worlds had an eye on.
After India received the Presidency of G20, in December last year Prime Minister Modi had stated that, “as India assumes this important mantle, I ask myself – can the G20 go further still?” He further asked whether India can catalyse a fundamental mindset shift, to benefit humanity as a whole? However, he also was concerned that we remain trapped in the same zero-sum mindset even today. We see it when countries fight over territory or resources. We see it when supplies of essential goods are weaponised. We see it when vaccines are hoarded by a few, even as billions remain vulnerable. The world seems to shrinking for its own individual needs first.
Some may argue that confrontation and greed are just human nature. This what was exactly seen during the recent foreign ministers’ meet at the Raisina Dialogue which was attended by leading countries of the world in New Delhi. India being the host which also has one-sixth of human populace along with its immense diversity of languages, religions, customs and beliefs, India is a microcosm of the world, also was not able to bring the foreign ministers together on drafting a joint communiqué, especially when Russia and Ukraine are at war for last one year.
In fact, India is one of the fastest growing large economies of the world. With these G20 meetings happening in India and delegates landing in our country the hospitality and travel industry is going to reap the biggest benefits. It also propels India’s image world-over and is likely that many tourists across the globe will add India in their bucket-list to travel to.
If we look into the history, the G20 initiative was announced at the G7 summit in Cologne in June 1999. It was legally constituted at the G7 Finance Ministers’ conference in September 1999, with an initial meeting in Berlin, Germany in December 1999. The first chairman was former Canadian finance minister Paul Martin, and former German finance minister Hans Eichel hosted the inaugural meeting. After so many years, the opportunity now lies with India on how to use this platform to build its image globally and help herself economically. The G-20 has evolved to become one of the most influential international organisations, accounting for 85 per cent of the global gross domestic product, two third of global trade, and about 75 per cent of the world’s population.
This weekend several G20 countries, including China and Japan, will participate in a flower festival at Central Park, Connaught Place in New Delhi. The objective is to showcase the vibrancy and colourful display of G20 members and guest countries, the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) said in a statement. The NDMC G-20 Flower Festival is being organised at Central Park, Connaught Place on March 11 and 12. Flower plants of different colours and varieties will be displayed in different forms and installations. The NDMC will be displaying different flower plants showcasing the diversity of the Indian Subcontinent. The four G20 countries that are participating in the festival are China, Japan, Singapore and the Netherlands. This clearly means that florists are going to get good business along with the hospitality and travel industry.
There are a plethora of such laundry lists of events and visit to historical sites planned for the arriving G20 delegates from world-over. If not diplomatically, India has the opportunity to portray herself as a ‘global leader’ and an economically vibrant country.
