The story of South is the story of the human spirit: ABP’s Avinash Pandey at ‘The Southern Rising’ Summit

The first edition of ABP Network’s ‘The Southern Rising’ Summit was hosted last week in Chennai.

Sharing the context and setting the overview of The Southern Rising Summit, Avinash Pandey, CEO, ABP Network, said, “The South has already risen. It tells us that when Governance is dedicated to people to improve their health and education; it will be a success. The Southern states have the highest GDP and lowest population growth rates. The story of South is the story of the human spirit.”

Speaking on the role of Governor, Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, said, “The Governor is a bridge and a bridge not only to the central and state governments but also to the people. There should be a good relationship between the CM and Governor.”

In his keynote address, Udhayanidhi Stalin, Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, Govt of Tamil Nadu, said, “A bigger conspiracy is being hatched to punish the Southern States for their good performance through the impending delimitation exercise of Lok Sabha Constituencies. In the 1970s, the Union Government promoted the population control program. The South Indian states implemented the program effectively. Their population growth rate slowed in comparison to states that did not implement the program well, whose population continued to grow at a higher rate. This effectively reduced the population share of the South Indian States. Today, this is being used against us. As you all would know, the Constitution mandates that each state must receive seats in proportion to its population, and constituencies should be of roughly equal size to the population.”

The event also witnessed the presence of actor Rana Daggubati, actor and director Revathy, and music composer, environmentalist and three-time Grammy Award Winner Ricky Kej who shared their thoughts on a wide-ranging issues.

At a session titled ‘India on the World Stage: Rhythm Divine’, Kej said, “When it comes to climate change, India is making significant strides. Concern in India on climate change is much larger than anywhere in the world.”

Author, and commentator Gurcharan Das’ session delivered an address on the pivotal role that freedom plays in shaping human progress. He stated, “A lot of people, like me, are in the middle of the political spectrum; and I am a liberal. Being a liberal, you are on a lonely road, as there’s no one to vote for.”

Thiaga Rajan, Minister of Information Technology & Digital Services, Tamil Nadu, delved into the manifold benefits of federalism, and advocated for federalism stating, “The notion of democracy is that a thousand voices should be heard. We should try and figure out policies; if that doesn’t work, we should recalibrate and readjust.”

Contrasting Viewpoints

A panel converged to explore the future of India in a session titled “Whose New India? Past, Imperfect, or Fast Forward.” It featured John Brittas, Narayanan Thirupathy, and M V Rajeev Gowda, presenting contrasting viewpoints.

Brittas, a Member of Parliament (CPI-M), said, “India is a multi-religious country and you can only have democracy when you have free and independent media.”

He added, “India has a rich history of welcoming all cultures and boasts a diverse heritage. South India is the home of reformists. With 18 pc of the population, we contribute 35 pc to the GDP.”

Thirupathy, Vice President of the BJP, said, “Many say BJP can’t have a foothold in Tamil Nadu. In the last 60 years, it is the BJP that has been growing in the state more than other parties. We have done very well; our booth committee is very strong. There is a big vacuum in the absence of Jayalalitha and Karunanidhi, and BJP will definitely fill the vacuum. Definitely, the BJP is going to form the government in 2026.”

Gowda, Vice Chairperson, State Institute for Transformation of Karnataka and Ex-Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (INC), said “We are experiencing a BJP-free South India. In Karnataka, we saw corruption. The contractors wrote letters to the PM complaining about corruption. We need to provide people with fair prices and a safety net. This is something Congress will continue in the country. The Nyay scheme is also a safety net for people. We are expected to win Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh in a spectacular way.”

In a session titled “Mahatma Forever: Why We Need Him Now”, Prof. Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former Governor of West Bengal, clarified that Gandhi did not seek immortality or was not keen on being relevant.

“It was the people from South India who propelled Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi in South Africa towards the struggle for India’s dignity in South Africa,” he said, speaking about the South Indian connect. He underlined, “No South India in South Africa, no freedom struggle led by Gandhi in India”

Social Media: Playground or Business School?

Speaking on the above theme, digital content creator Chaithania Prakash said, “As influencers, we have a responsibility to ensure that nothing negative impacts our followers. We make sure the content we provide is of high quality to avoid any negative influence on our followers.”

Ardhra Sajan, another digital content creator, stated, “Initially, we didn’t know what to do on social media. Our follower count gradually increased, which brought a sense of responsibility.”

Highlighting challenges, their peer Deepika Venkatachalam said, “Some influencers are promoting betting apps, which negatively affect people’s lives, and I find this distressing. Everything is becoming digital, and people are seeking shortcuts. We have a responsibility to follow laws and use hashtags for paid collaborations to make it clear to viewers that it is a promotional partnership.”

New Age Leaders

Speaking on “Women in Politics: A Different Kind of Leader”, Congress MP Jothimani Sennimalai said, “To empower women in politics, there’s a need for fundamental changes in the party structure. At the party level, men are present in various positions starting from the local government to the district level. If such opportunities are given especially to women, through that experience they can perform better even when they come to power.”

The topic of “General Election 2024: Who Wins, Who Loses?” witnessed heated debate.

Annamalai, State President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for Tamil Nadu, said, “BJP Tamil Nadu is an ambitious party, and we are determined to reach our goals. The upcoming 2024 elections are pivotal, with just seven months to go. BJP’s comeback in Tamil Nadu in 2024 will solidify our party’s position.”

Kavitha Kalvakuntla, MLC and Former MP from the BRS Party, countered, “People don’t want power-hungry parties. The people want a decisive Government.”

She added, “We are neither with Congress nor BJP. I.N.D.I.A, alliance will crumble. Post-poll alliances have historically worked, while pre-poll alliances have not. I believe every party will need to rethink their strategy.”

Asked whether the I.N.D.I.A. alliance may crumble, Karti P Chidambaram, Member of Parliament for Sivaganga (INC), said, “It is the Congress party which is present in all five southern states. The alliance will not crumble. In these five states, INC will perform exceptionally well.”

“Making New Myths – Recreating the Old”

Actor and filmmaker Suhasini recalled how her partner and director Maniratnam made the historic epic Ponniyin Selvan.

“I asked him not to make this film. After the failure of some of the politic-historic films we made, I was uncertain if this idea would work,” she revealed.

“The thing that worked for the success of PS, was the fact that the story of Ponniyin Selvan has been there in our culture. People loved it even before we made it,” she added

Speaking on ‘Reinvention and Resurgence – Staying Alive in the Movies’, actor turned politician Kushboo Sundar shared a reflection from her personal life, “I slept like a log after coming out in open of being a victim of child sexual abuse. There’s nothing for me to be ashamed of.”

The Southern Rising’ Summit was conceptualised and instituted by ABP Network as a tribute to the growth, culture and societal harmony exemplified by the southern states of India.

The Summit also saw some live music with Mahesh Raghvan and Nandini Shankar bringing to the audience a blend of tradition and innovation.