Good leader is one who respects consensus: CM

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-09-28
PANAJI- The Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat observed on Saturday that a highly educated person cannot necessarily be a good leader as primary requirement for a good leader is humanity.
Addressing a daylong conference on ‘New paradigm of leadership and good governance’ at the Goa International Centre, the Chief Minister said, “A highly educated person develops a sense of pride and starts believing that his decisions are final even in a democratic set-up,” the Chief Minister stated.
He said that the effort of his government would be to touch the hearts of the needy and the downtrodden.
Stressing on the need to go to the root cause of producing good and bad leaders, Mr Kamat said that improvement in the standard of the society, which provides the leaders, could be a solution to the problem.
A good leader is one who respects consensus, and furthermore, is able to carry all sections of the society with him on the road to progress, the Chief Minister stated adding that good governance should benefit the common man.
The Governor, Dr S S Sidhu, who earlier inaugurated the conference in the presence of the Commissioner for NRI Affairs, Mr Eduardo Faleiro, said that political leaders, administrators and policy makers should set an example through their behaviour by helping the poor and marginalised groups, and not by flaunting their position in society. “They should follow the rules of the land so that others are influenced,” he observed.
The Governor said the transformative leaders are those who can look beyond the obvious, take a wingspan outlook of things, explore the latent possibilities, harbour creative and constructive visions of future and harmoniously blend imagination and idealism with pragmatism and rationality.
Stating that the political leaders, administrators and policy makers have huge challenges before them, Dr Sidhu said the present-day leaders, apart from being educated and technology savvy, should also manifest a positive espousal of the principles of justice, equality, equity and empowerment of the people, especially the weaker sections.
“What is expected from the leaders is a commitment to the principles of social justice and equity so that appropriate conditions are created, enabling the poor and the marginalised groups to have equal access to the new frontiers of knowledge and vistas of opportunities,” he maintained and urged the leaders to follow a transparent and participative approach in decision making.
Observing that the modern paradigm of leadership and good governance should focus equal attention on the ‘means’ as to the ‘ends’, the Governor stressed on the need for a basic change in the value system on which traditional politics operates so that the notion of stewardship and selfless service is followed by traditional players of politics.
The Goa pradesh Congress committee chief, Mr Subhash Shirodkar in his speech said the country without peace cannot concentrate on its development, while the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Mr Shripad Naik observed that peace has become a casualty in today’s world.
The state president of the Nationalist Congress Party, Dr Wilfred de Sousa said that peace has to start from the grassroots level, and then only one can aspire to have peace in the world.
Former chief minister, Ms Shashikala Kakodkar lamented that though the country has rich resources, they are not being used properly. She also opined that the political leaders should work as trustees of the public.
Among others who spoke during the inaugural session of the conference included Geevarghese Mar Coorilos, Metropolitan of Mumbai Diocese of the Orthodox Church and Mr K V Rajan, a diplomat of the Indian Foreign Service.
Mr Faleiro, in his welcome address said the Universal Peace Federation of India, which hosted the conference, is a global network of individuals and organisations dedicated to building a world of peace.