India’s governance frameworks are imported — but the problems are entirely Indian. What would it mean to govern from our own civilisational roots?
The discussion opens with a Pakistan comparison: a Pakistani politician once attributed India’s stability entirely to political continuity after 1947, while Pakistan was “orphaned at independence.” Panellists — including author Dr. Hindol Sengupta and governance expert Dr. Chopra — examine how India’s survival depended not just on leaders but on the strength of the national movement itself. Key arguments include: governance and politics are distinct roles that must not be confused; West Bengal’s Operation Barga succeeded for 15 years but couldn’t evolve beyond agriculture; and Indian leadership frameworks remain largely borrowed — making it impossible to compete when the conceptual architecture itself isn’t ours.
About the Speakers:
Dr. Sanjeev Chopra is a retired bureaucrat and former Director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration. Currently, he serves as Patron and Honorary Consultant of the Valley of Words International Literary Festival in Dehradun. A recipient of prestigious fellowships including the Hubert H. Humphrey (Cornell) and Robert S. McNamara (World Bank), he has also held academic positions at institutions like the Royal Asiatic Society, London, and Harvard’s Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute. Dr. Chopra is widely regarded as a leading literary and policy thought leader in India.
Dr. Hindol Sengupta is a multiple award-winning historian and author of 12 acclaimed books, with a decade-long career as a columnist. He has served as Vice President (Strategy and Research) at Invest India and editor-at-large for Fortune India. His interdisciplinary work explores India’s rise, blending international relations, history, economics, and culture. A Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, he holds a doctorate from the Geneva School of Diplomacy. Dr. Sengupta’s journalism appears in major publications globally, and he is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. He also directs the Jindal India Institute, focusing on statehood, multiculturalism, and technology’s impact on sovereignty.
Sandeep Unnithan (Moderator) is a Delhi-based journalist and Editor of News 9Plus, the world’s first news OTT app. He is the author of Black Tornado: The 3 Sieges of Mumbai 26/11 and co-author of OperationX: The Untold Story of India’s Covert Naval War in East Pakistan.
