Dumped, Modi may get another Wharton platform to go global

A WIEF organiser says they will give the Gujarat CM a more appropriate but less publicised forum

Despite withdrawing the invitation to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to deliver a keynote address at the Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF) later this month, the organisers of the event are determined to arrange another platform for him to address students at the prestigious American business school. One of the organisers of WIEF said in an interview they would look for a "more appropriate" but less publicised forum, like the leadership lecture series at Wharton.

WIEF is an annual student-organised event hosted by the Wharton School, which is part of the University of Pennsylvania.

Modi had been scheduled to speak at this year's WIEF via live video conference, before the organisers announced yesterday that his speech had been cancelled in the light of the potentially "polarising reactions from sub­segments of the alumni base, student body and our supporters", if he spoke at the Forum. The statement also said the organisers wished to avoid at all costs placing Modi in "a compromising position". An earlier announcement unveiling Modi as a keynote speaker at the conference to be held in Philadelphia on March 23 had prompted opposition from various quarters and a petition urging the organisers to revoke the invitation.

However, contrary to media reports, no students or faculty members from Wharton had signed the petition, said a member of WIEF's organising team, who did not want to be named. "None of the Wharton Indians actually opposed this," said the student, who added, "Gathering 150 signatures is not that big a deal. We can gather a 300-signature petition for support in a day. We chose not to play that game."

While the organising team reiterated yesterday that "the student organising body was extremely impressed with Modi's credentials, governance ideologies, and leadership", the petitioners had slammed the choice, declaring, "We find it astonishing that any academic and student body at the University of Pennsylvania can endorse ideas about economic development that are based on the systematic oppression of minority populations, whether in India or elsewhere," and pledged to protest Modi's appearance.

While there was no formal directive from the university to cancel Modi's speech, "they did suggest that it would be best if he didn't speak", said the organising team member. The organiser acknowledged in the interview that India was an important country for the University of Pennsylvania. "They balance a lot of delicate relationships there and I imagine if we had pushed forward some of them would have been damaged," said the student.

A spokesman for Wharton declined to comment on the controversy, stating: "The student conference to which you refer to is independent of the School". However, the organisers have faced a backlash after cancelling Modi's speech as well. "Once we did the statement this morning, we've gotten so much hate mail on this, that you guys should not cave under pressure, what happened to free speech and things like that. There's an equal, if not bigger supporter base for him," said the student.

A replacement for Modi has not been announced, although the organisers' statement promised it would be "a very prominent Indian leader". Other keynote speakers at this year's WIEF include Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, and Milind Deora, minister of state for information technology and communications. As for the snubbed speaker, he had readily accepted the invitation to speak, but also understood the organisers' predicament, said the student, who had been involved in conveying the decision to Modi's office: "This scenario is not new to them."