Cancellation would be the most "appropriate in the light of reactions of the multiple stakeholders involved", Wharton India Economic Forum said.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s keynote address at the prestigious Wharton India Economic Forum later this month was cancelled on Sunday under pressure from multiple stakeholders.
“We do not endorse any political views and do not support any specific ideology. Our goal as a team is only to stimulate valuable dialogue on India’s growth story,” the Forum said in a statement.
Mr. Modi was invited to deliver the keynote address at the Forum to be held in Philadelphia on March 22-23 via videoconference.
“As it stands currently, Mr. Modi’s keynote address at Wharton India Economic Forum has been cancelled,” the statement said.
The Forum is an annual student-run India-centric conference hosted by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
In its statement, the Forum said the student body was extremely impressed with Modi’s credentials, governance ideologies, and leadership, which was the primary reason for his invitation.
“However, as a responsible student body within the University of Pennsylvania, we must consider the impact on multiple stakeholders in our ecosystem,” it said.
The Forum said even as it stood by its decision to invite Mr. Modi, “we believe that this course of action (of cancelling his address) would be the most appropriate in the light of reactions of the multiple stakeholders involved.”
“Therefore, we as a team, would like to apologise for being a catalyst may have put Mr.Modi and the Wharton School administration ia difficult position,” the Forum said.
The Forum said it hoped to have Mr. Modi speak at a “more appropriate forum where he can interact with students without the distraction of this kind of attention“.
The Forum said it was in the last stages of finalising an additional keynote address that will be delivered by a very prominent Indian leader and it will be announced very soon.
Since its inception in 1996, the meet has emerged as one of the largest and most prestigious India-focused business conferences that provides a platform for leaders to discuss the opportunities present in India and the challenges that need to be addressed.
Among other eminent invited guests to the conference include Milind Deora, the Union Minister of State for IT and Communications; Gautam Adani, chairman of the Adani Group; actress Shabana Azmi, poet and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar.
Earlier keynote speakers have included former president Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, BJP leader Varun Gandhi and industrialist Anil Ambani.
Keywords: Modi, Wharton cancelled
What a loss to the students of wharton...
To all the Indian American professors and those who were instrumental in the cancellation of Modi's invite on the ground that he was the man responsible for the killing of thousands of Muslims in the Gujarat riots. Stop being hypocrites. There is no bigger mass murderer than the country you are living in. US hegemony in the world in the form of drone strikes, systematic killing of civilians in Afghanistan, Iraq, Mexico, Egypt, Syria and some of the darkest chapters in world history, diplomatic manipulations for selfish ends has all been the handiwork of USA. The diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks speaks volumes of the crimes committed by USA. And now they are after Julian Assange. They want him hanged. Why? Because he exposes their covert actions. Was there accountability for those crimes? Who was responsible? Where were you guys when the murders were going on? Why didnot you protest? Just to let you know, that if you are against mass murderers, you got to clean your home first.
it is not modi who asked for an invitation,but the school decided to invite namo,but after that politics played a role its a political decesion on a non political matter,any way no big deal.
It is perfectly fine for the leader of an explicitly non-secular country such as Iran, the theocratic leadership of which openly oppresses those who do not subscribe to its own religious beliefs, to visit and address students of a top-notch university in the U.S. (Yale), but a democratically-elected leader of a state in India is persona non grata at another equally respected university.
I guess that more than summarises the double-standards of highly-accomplished academics in the U.S., who seem willing to be bend to the demands of a very vocal set of interest-groups that puts forth, and projects, its prejudiced and unbalanced views as undisputed truth.
The so called 'secular' brigade is at it again.Having become the
prosecutor,judge,jury, jailer and the executioner they claim there
bias to be the gospel truth.After holding incessant media trials now
it is time for them to flex money and muscle power.The uninitiated or
reasonable can be argued with.However this is a matter of unwavering
faith in the 'first family' and faith as we all know cannot be
questioned.If politicians are to be ostracized for the communal riots
in their respective states,let's draw up a list and measure who stands
where on the charade 'secular scale'.Arguments and decisions should be
based on logic and reasoning rather than faith and belief.
Great thing by Wharton. Modi should realize he is answerable for riots that took place under his leadership. People around the world do not want such fundamentalist minds.
I hope it now becomes evident to Modi’s middle class backers in these columns
that India does not operate in a vacuum but in a globalised world where human
rights violations and attacks on minorities can lead to prosecution & boycotts.
And that happens even if the politician concerned is popular or has been elected
democratically. Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir, Serbia’s Slobodan Milosevic & Chile’s
Augusto Pinochet spring to mind. Milosevic & Pinochet were incarcerated while Mr
al Bashir cannot leave Sudan to many countries, for fear of being arrested.
India has 2 Muslim neighbours and a need to maintain sound relations with other
Islamic nations and the nominally Christian nations in Europe & the Americas.
Indeed, India needs to elect a leader who not only fulfills the aspirations of all Indians by an inclusive agenda but also one who is respected by the largely non-
Hindu world outside. The snub that has been dealt to Modi at Wharton is just a harbinger of similar things to come.
Will the "multiple stakeholders" also pressurise Wharton India Economic Forum to ensure that no leader of any Western Country is ever invited to their Forum or ensure no Leader of any developed Western Country is ever invited to India, as almost all of them have been directly or indirectly associated with the happenings in Vietnam, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, etc. etc.?
Is that a big deal?
And is that forum really as "prestigious" as it is made out to be? Considering that it first extended an invitation and then cancelled what it offered, the clumsiness begs the question whether the forum's claim to fame is not merely its highfalutin notion.
The truth is, the presumed power and influence of the "multiple stakeholders," whoever these folk are, hardly matters; Mr. Modi will anyway obtain his destiny.
That Wharton cancelled Modi's speech will certainly help Modi consolidate the middle and neo-middle class Hindu votes, just like the Maut-ka-Saudagar award by Sonia. Of course, it was stupid of Wharton to take this decision. By that token, so many world leaders need to be banned and exiled and what not, leading that list is certain George Bush for the massacre of Iraqi people for which he was directly responsible along with Mr. Colin Powell for third-class lying at the UN. Will Mr. Bush ever be tried for war crimes?
Institutions and nations should refuse visas to all communal elements and religious
fundamentalist leaders, these are divisive people and they do extraordinary harm to
world peace. Religions are divisive and have to remain in the private domain. I am
surprised to note that Wharton has invited Varun Gandhi and Shiv Sena leaders too.
I see a clear bias in the way your newspaper has been reporting about the Gujarat Chief Minister and the Sri Lankan President. Rajapaksha is given a front page interview to claim that the son of Prabakaran was not killed by Army. When it comes to Modi, his views have not been published. Violence against innocent civilians must be unequivocally condemned irrespective of who the victims are and who the perpetrators are. I strongly condemn the atrocities in Gujarat and Sri Lanka. Your coverage appears biased.
Unfortunately these forums have come to be dominated by political brinkmanship. The political parties of India seem to get hold of the core group in these student bodies to bring out their hidden agenda. Look at how they describe him, Modi is a great leader, he is greatness personified. But then why were they forced to withdraw the invitation, were they not aware of the carnage that took place under his watch in 2002. Were they not aware how this sorry saga besmirched India's great credentials as a secular nation. Was this outrageous projection of a rampantly communal character more important to these budding corporate upstarts than the traditional values of this great nation. And they are hell bent upon doing this time & again with total disdain & disregard.
When congress leaders like Milind Deora and P Chidambaram were invited
in the current and previous editions of the meet, what's wrong with
Modi? Even a volatile BJP leader like Varun Gandhi was invited in the
past. So it seems as if some vested political interests have pressured
the organizing body to cancel the invitation to Modi.
It is really immaterial, Even the visa issue has not affected Modi. Ignoring these trivial issue by Mr. Modi is best medicine.
Thats disappointing after yesterdays blitz against congress and the SRCC speech (one of the best speech given by a Indian politician)I was waiting for this keynote address...it would have given his perspective on India and world economy.
It seems this whole scheme was designed to humiliate Modi.
Praveen Nair.
befitting, else the forum would have been colored kesari... forgetting the other two colors in the flag - leave alone the wheel of a poor man... he'd keep you all spinning....
Can Wharton name the mulitiple 'stakeholders' or scared that the donations from the 'stakeholders' may dry up.
Another 'feather' in the cap of the person some want to see as the next
Prime Minister of India. SHAMEFUL !! NDA should come out with the names
of clean, secular and much more efficient people like Nitish Kumar and
Sushma Swaraj
Great. I'm waiting to see egg on a lot of people's faces the day Mr.Modi becomes PM. That will not just include the Wharton types but all the governments as well. Fun times ahead .. :)
Wharton school's action in cancelling this event is not appreciaated.Earlier too, we have had the cse of Harvard School abolishing gthe course in which Dr. Wubramania Swamy was a egualr faculty. It is time tht US academics do not play this political game. It amuonts to interferrencce in the democratic politics of this country. US academics are going too far.
Modi’s address at Wharton cancelled
a bit of a shame a bit of a disgrace
never too late for course correction
Mr Modi are you listening ?
Wharton's stance is incorrect and reflects its stature that it does not think well twice before it acts. It would have been more appropriate on its part to tell Modi or Tom, Dick & Harry that zero political content should be present in his address.
Wharton has made a mistake.
More than a politician Modi has a sixth sense for the development of
business amply proved by Gujarat state under his leadership.If they say
stake holders have opposed that can be excused but to say Modi is a
politician to talk only on politics is not justified.
The great proponent of democracy and free speech seems to be scared of
democracy and free speech for an Asian non white country ?
Are we talking about students getting trained in 'leadership and management' aspects at this place called Wharton School? This was a great opportunity for the Wharton team to show their leadership and stick to the values, etc that they claim to live by. Through this incident, Wharton showed that what they claim to teach are only for others to follow and Whartonites will only do what their funding agencies tell them to.
Lecture at Wharton is not an honor. Vey fact that Wharton extended an inviatation shows that he has a standing. Cancellation shows that the designs of Congress are at work. Modi should not look forward to these things - his work field is Gujarat and he should concentrate there.
This should be a reminder to Modi that a Prime ministerial candidate should raise
above gutter politics. Modi should clear his conscience, about his role in standing as
a silent witness Post Godhra, and giving a nod to those engaged in violence against
minorities. Post Godhra Gujarat fell victim to the sectarian politics of a leader who
has succeeded, in covering up his cruelty by an apparently clean and dynamic
economic leadership. Mahabharata talks about a prosperous Kuru Kingdom that
lacked ethical values.
Gandhiji's Gujarat has now turned a model nightmare for muslims in India. Mahatma
never wanted independence, tainted by the blood of the British. Modi's Gujarat
showcases itself as a disciplined society, conditioned by the brutality against
vulnerable women and children.
Post Godhra is portrayed as a valid deterrent, but the damage done to India's
reputation, internationally and the fear psychosis among a large segment of our
community has to be corrected as soon as possible.
Their loss. Modi's going to be PM, and going to make many reforms to strengthen
India and bring progress.
It was the most terribly unkind cut on the part of the
"Responsible" but unethical Student Body of the University of
Pennsylvania to cancel Mr.Modi's keynote address at the Wharton School after so much hype,at the instance of "We all know Who".The
ostensible reason that the body needs to consider the impact on and the reaction of multiple stakeholders of the Ecosystem sounds
not only hollow but an attempt to couch and jargonise the languages as to -----.And It would be improper on the part of any new Indian Speaker organised by this body to accept its invitation to deliver the address.
If addressing a gathering through video conference is not embarrassing enough due to denial of Visa, canceling Mr. Modi's keynote address is a greater embarrassment. Mr. Modi was busy throwing mud at his political opponents in the morning and it fell back on him the same day.
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