Abhijeet Banerjee once said, “Poverty is not just a lack of money; it is not having the capability to realize one’s full potential as a human being” in his book ‘Poor Economy’ which was first published on April 26, 2011. Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee is an Indian-born American economist who, along with Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer, was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics (the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences) for their contributions to the development of an innovative experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.
Banerjee has previously been a president of the Bureau for the
Research in the Economic Analysis of Development, a Research Associate of the
NBER, and has prominently contributed his work to other research agencies as
well. His areas of research are prominently development economics and economic
theory. Abhijeet has also been the author of various articles, as well as five
books, including ‘Making Aid work’, ‘What the Economy Needs to Know’, ‘Good
Economics for Hard Times’, and ‘Poor Economics’, which won the Goldman Sachs
Business Book of the Year. Today however he will talk about his deeper
passions, more specifically his love for food and more specifically cooking.
Today, he will be addressing his newest cookbook ‘Cooking to Save Your Life', illustrated
by Cheyenne Olivier. Like him there is another great achiever who will be
present at the event. The Goan military hero, Ian Cardozo.
In 1947 with the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan, the
possibility of a war breaking out was high, when it was soon confirmed there
seemed a possibility of war, and in a short time, this news was confirmed. This
war broke out for the Independence of East Pakistan. Initially, Ian Cardozo was
not part of this war; however, when one of the officers was martyred while
fighting with the Pakistan army, Ian was sent to war in his replacement. During
this span, he also became a part of the first Helicopter mission of the Indian
Army. This war broke out for the Independence of East Pakistan. Gorkha Regiment
was one of the first troops sent by India.
"If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either
lying or is a Gorkha", once stated the legendary Field Marshal, Sam
Manekshaw. So, Ian along with his division of BSF(Border Security Force), got
the task of getting some Bangladeshi prisoners trapped nearby as a mission.
Fighting and moving forward with the Pakistan army, he had completely evacuated
the place; while reviving the injured and weak prisoners to the army camp was
remaining, he took the initiative for the same, and while he was on his way to
lend help to the prisoners, he accidentally landed on the land mines laid by
the Pakistani army. Before the arrival of the army personnel, a Bangladeshi saw
Ian injured, and decided to rush him to their camp. The absence of medical
personnel made the condition even worse. This is when Ian took a stand for
himself, and decided to cut off his leg with his kukri (curved short sword with
a broad blade used especially by Gurkhas).
Speaking about this incident later in an interview, he jokingly
said “Where is my kukri?” he asked Balbahadu, when he pulled it out, “Cut off
my leg”. “He refused. So I cut it off and told him to bury it. Poor chap. I now
have a piece of land in Bangladesh.” General Ian Cardozo, hence is a Goan military
hero known for being the first war-disabled (amputee) officer of the Indian
Army to command a battalion and a brigade.
At the age of 56, Ian Cardozo retired as chief of staff of a
corps in Assam. After his retirement, he published 1971: Stories of Grit and
Glory from the Indo-Pak War. He has also written and contributed to prominent
books including ‘Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle’, ‘The Bravest of the Brave:
The Extraordinary Story of Indian VCs of World War I’, and now ‘Cartoos Saab’,
which he will be addressing in today’s festival.
He has also been campaigning for the marigold to be the flower
of remembrance for India's war dead, as they are often linked to the powerful
strength of the sun and represent the power, strength, and light that lives inside
of a person.
Delegates
will include poet/ novelist Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih, Trisha Niyogi(next-gen
publisher), Arpita Das Ribeiro(Indie publisher), Iffat Nawaz(Bangladeshi
novelist), and Bardroy Barretto(Goan filmmaker) will also be having their presence
to the festival.