Former Indian president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam yesterday said bringing economic prosperity to affected or alienated people would help reduce terrorism at national and international levels. "You bring economic prosperity to the affected people or to alienated people. So, that prosperity comes in, terrorism slowly declines," said Kalam at a programme organised by Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Ind
ustry (MCCI). "If you plot a curve [that] terrorism [is] increasing, you penetrate the area where they live. With economic progress, initially a number of setbacks will be there, but finally economic growth and prosperity will lead to a winning point," he said. Kalam made the observations while answering a question of participant at the programme. Earlier, he delivered his keynote speech on 'Sustainable Development System for a Peaceful & Prosperous Global Society' at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC). The MCCI organised the programme to celebrate its 110th founding anniversary. Kalam, who served as India's 11th president from 2002 to 2007, said terrorism is increasing. "Terrorism is international nowadays and comes in different forms." But every nation should make some sort of study to know why some people tend to go against the system, he said after presenting his paper, where he shared his World Vision 2030 to ensure sustainable development. Advertisement He also laid out ideas of providing urban amenities in rural areas of Saarc nations to empower impoverished people and aspired to see creative leadership for people's empowerment. The scientist, recognising the current global challenges and manifestations, said he visualised a world that is prosperous, healthy, secure, devoid of terrorism, peaceful and happy, and continues with a sustainable growth path. Discussing his visions for the world in 10 points, he said he dreams of a world of nations, where the division between rural and urban, rich and poor, developed and developing countries has narrowed; a world where there is an equitable distribution and adequate access to energy and safe drinking water. "The global vision 2030 envisages the realisation of green clean environment without pollution, having prosperity without poverty, peace without fear, and happy place to live for all citizens of the nations of the world," said Kalam. He expected that the world would be able to identify core competency of each nation by 2030 and take missions for coordinating the core competencies of different nations, which will lead to economic advantage and faster development for all societies. Kalam also envisaged a world where students of all societies are imparted education with value system, affordable quality healthcare is available to all, governance is responsive, transparent and corruption free, and where crimes against women and children are absent and none feels alienated. He dreams of a world where every nation is able to give clean green environment to all its citizens. The former Indian president said the world faces challenges of poverty, illiteracy, safe drinking water, clean and green energy, equitable distribution of resources, quality education, societal imbalances, quality healthcare for all and good living conditions. "Individual nations are working to find a solution to these challenges. However, we are clearly witnessing that challenges faced by nations are not of their making," he said. "There are many international dimensions for the cause and solutions. Hence, working for solutions is a collective responsibility of global community," he said. "When nations start working on the common enemies of illiteracy, poor health etc., their tendency to focus on national, regional and global peace with better mutual trust is enabled." The noted scientist said the world is integrally connected through environment, people, economy and ideas. "Global warming is no longer a problem of individual nations. Economic turbulence originating in one part of the globe shook the whole world." He said advances in transportation have progressively made movement of people across the nations and regions easier. Ideas are no longer geographically confined. "Local or regional issues will invariably gain global prominence and unaddressed problems, including poverty, can mutate rapidly into global terrorism which we are already witnessing," said Kalam. On regional level, he pointed to the potential of Saarc and said nations under the trading bloc account for one out of four persons on the planet and enjoy a high concentration of world's youth. The region, while representing emerging economies, has the challenges of overcoming poverty and social disparities which are higher than other regions in the world, he said. "Thus with such human resource and opportunities, how can we empower the people of Saarc region with economic prosperity and security, peace and harmony? This will be the most vital question to address in our quest towards a World Vision 2030." "We will need systems of sustainable development for the international rural community which today account for about half of the world population," he said, adding that the world needs to empower 3 billion people and out of them more than half are in the Saarc region. Earlier at another session, Prime Minister's International Affairs Adviser Prof Gowher Rizvi said a nation can achieve long term sustainable development only by ensuring equitable distribution of resources. Finance Minister AMA Muhith said the economy is locked in 6 percent growth syndrome and that the government has taken steps to break the syndrome and put the economy on higher growth path. MCCI President Rokia Afzal Rahman said a mutually beneficial relation with the government and private sector is needed. She said much is told about Chinese success but what is overlooked is the symbiotic nature of cooperation between government and private sector. "We may not be able to replicate Chinese miracle. But we can definitely bring about Bangladeshi miracle if our government gives us that crucial policy support that the Chinese government gave to its private sector and South Korean government to their private sector," she said. "We offer to sit with our government and formulate a detail policy guideline that will unleash the full potential of our creative, energetic private sector to bring about Bangladeshi miracle, which we feel confident to achieve."
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