Congress President to address NEXUS 2007 in Netherlands - News - Press Releases

Congress President to address NEXUS 2007 in NetherlandsCamp: New DelhiDate: 9th June 2007The President of the Indian National Congress, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, will deliver a lecture at the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands today. She will give the 'NEXUS lecture 2007' under the title 'Living Politics, What India Has Taught Me'.

Earlier, the Prime Minister of Netherlands, Dr. Jan Peter Balkenende, hosted a dinner for the Congress President.

The congress President was invited to deliver a lecture at the NEXUS Institute, a leading Dutch Think tank established in Tilburg, about 100-kilometres from Amsterdam.

NEXUS organizes lectures and conferences on political, cultural and philosophical topics. The only other Indian who has given a lecture at the NEXUS Institute is Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen.An audience comprising academics, diplomats and researchers from various parts of the globe will hear her.

Programme at NEXUS Institue, Tilburg

13.30-13.50 Reception13.50-14.15 Auditorium open to public14.15-14.30 Welcome by Rob Riemen, Founder & President14.30-15.30 Nexus Lecture by Sonia Gandhi15.30-16.15 Q&A16.15-16.45 Concert16.45-17.30 Reception

byte:The President of the Indian National Congress, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, delivered a lecture at the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands on Saturday, June 9. She spoke to the audience comprising at the 'NEXUS lecture 2007'. The title of the sppech was titled: 'Living Politics, What India Has Taught Me'.She was invited to deliver a lecture at the NEXUS Institute, a leading Dutch Think tank established in Tilburg, about 100-kilometres from Amsterdam. NEXUS organizes lectures and conferences on political, cultural and philosophical topics. The only other Indian who has given a lecture at the NEXUS Institute is Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen.An audience comprising academics, diplomats and researchers from various parts of the globe will hear her."I am delighted to be here in these beautiful surroundings. I thank you for this honour. Those of you who are familiar with India will know that we are famously loquacious. Indeed as Nobel Laureate and Nexus lecturer Amartya Sen has rema rked in his book The Argumentative Indian, what grieves and frustrates an Indian most about the prospect of dying is that he will no longer be able to argue back! Not surprisingly therefore, public life in India is characterized by vigorous debate and vehement contention. The cacophony of politics is the very music of our democracy. However, outside the compulsions of public life, I must confess that I am not a frequent public speaker. I still have a long way to go before becoming the proverbial Argumentative Indian. But when my husband's friend Ruud Lubbers brought up the idea of delivering the Nexus Lecture, I could not refuse".

Regards,