By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 30 Jan: As part of its commitment towards promoting authors based in and around Dehradun, Valley of Words hosted Gaz Bisht to discuss his book, ‘British Raj to Amrit Kaal’, at IMS Unison University, here.
The book discussion was organised in collaboration with the School of Liberal Arts and the Institution’s Innovation Council. Gaz Bisht is a season Energy Sector Executive based in Sydney, and hails from Nainital. His book, ‘British Raj to Amrit Kaal’ is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2025 and explores the history of India’s progress in the domain of science and technology. This book meticulously examines India’s extraordinary journey over the past 75 years, drawing upon extensive research and offering a comprehensive analysis of its key milestones and challenges. A central theme of this narrative focuses on ‘Sherpas’ – the extraordinary visionaries who, despite facing deeply entrenched systemic barriers, shattered traditional constraints of politics and bureaucracy.
During the discussion session in IMS, Bisht was accompanied by Dr Sanjeev Chopra, Festival Director, Valley of Words. After sharing their thoughts on the book, a panel discussion took place with Dr Abhishek Juneja, faculty at the School of Liberal Arts, sharing stage with the two luminaries. During the discussion, Bisht pointed to the role of VP Menon in the integration of Princely States. He credited Nehru for setting up IITs and creating the first generation of Indian technocrats. He suggested five initiatives which should happen if the nation were to develop economically – transformation of Indian classrooms, focus on one-child-at-a-time, ushering in India’s urban renaissance, unlocking healthcare equity and charting a path for environmental recovery.
Dr Sanjeev Chopra added that a new commercial model for housing must be introduced to address the large number of homeless in the country. The session ended with a Q&A session in which Bisht and Sanjeev Chopra addressed queries and concerns of the students of the School of Liberal Arts.
