At TEDx, an idea whose time has come

Amarjot Kaur 

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, January 21 

Bridging through thought-provoking discussions, the diverse social construct of India's past, present and future — the theme that defined the course of TEDx Chandigarh's second edition at Panchkula's Indradhanush Auditorium, the conference brought 14 of ‘Global Thought Leaders’ to its platform on Sunday.

From Patanjali’s CEO Acharya Balkrishna, who is also the eighth richest man in India, to Arundhati Bhattacharya, former chairperson of the State Bank of India, who was listed last year by Forbes magazine as the 25th most powerful woman in the world, TED's line-up spelled its core mission “to share ideas worth spreading”.

The six-hour long event elaborated on subjects ranging from alternate farming methods (underlining the scope of hydroponics or aqua-farming), to gender equality, childcare, technology, identity, music and magic. Partnering with a leading IT company and powered by an automobile brand, TedxChandigarh is a regional extension of TED, a non-profit organisation. It is an independently organised event, curated by Simranpreet Singh and Pritika Mehta.

The talk sessions divvy up in two parts, comprising seven speakers each, in a before-and-after-lunch format. Arundhati, the first speaker of the first part of the session, shares, "Women have the potential to reach great heights. However, in professional sphere, they struggle to strike a balance between work and family. The only thing that empowered me was my determination to never compromise with my career."

Acharya Balkrishna, while addressing the young guns, said, "The youth is the future of our nation. It is very important that they have a constructive thought-process and a positive mindset to grow in the right direction. It is imminent that the society gives them an atmosphere which inspires innovation and tickles their curiosity to learn." Apart from venture capitalist, and philanthropist, Eric A McAfee, who a source informed had landed in India on a private jet, the first half of the event hosted talks by speakers Maninder Singh, who is a software developer based in the US, woman rights activist Urvashi Sahni, and India's youngest dhol player Jahangeet.  

The second part of the event, however, built an interesting dialogue between creative fields, bringing music, magic and farming together on one platform. While Satinder Sartaaj elaborated on Sufi music and qawwali, father-son duo Somveer and Jaspal Singh Anand deliberated on aqua-farming, touting its potential as an alternate solution for farming in Punjab. 

Magic Singh from the UK, who shares that he has performed for many Indian and English celebrities, including Hrithik Roshan, Amitabh Bachchan, and hip-hop band Black Eyed Peas, left the audience numbering 1,400, spellbound. A spokesperson for the American Academy of Paediatrics, Laura A Jana, underlined the key skills to prepare a toddler for the 21st century.

Chandigarh's Varnika Kundu and artist Sawan Madman were the surprise speakers at the event.

Talking cannabis and Morni Hills 

"I am all for legalisation of medical marijuana. It is found to have medicinal properties, but its controlled cultivation is the key to avoiding its misuse. I am writing a book, titled ‘Morni Hills Ki Jadibootiyan’. Morni Hills have more than 1,000 varieties of herbs. Its status as the ‘World’s Herbal Forest’ awaits its fate at the hands of government machinery. We are planning to speed up things though." - Acharya Balkrishna

Demonetisation, a short-term pain 

"A big reform, like demonetisation or GST, meets with some teething problems. People suffered, but demonetisation unleashed resources to the bank. As a result, the interest went down. It also propelled digitisation and increased the flow of small currency by 28 per cent." - Arundhati Bhattacharya

Stop brain-drain

"I feel India has the best brains, but it lacks opportunities. My father was killed during militancy days in Punjab and my mother raised my brother and me; she sewed clothes for a living." - Maninder Singh

Singing of culture

"I was asked by big music labels to look good and do bhangra; they were indirectly suggesting that I quit Sufi because people won’t like it. As an artist, one must follow the diktats of one’s soul rather than sacrificing their responsibilities for the sake of making a quick buck." - Satinder Sartaj

Malnutrition is the problem

"I am an advocate providing health insurance for children. They must have basic healthcare rights. In India, most children suffer from malnutrition. We need to protect our future." - Laura A Jana