Word 'jugaad' resonates with Israeli President

Hindi word 'jugaad' has clearly resonated with the visiting Israel President Reuven Rivlin who on Sunday sought to connect the colloquial term to the Jewish state of Israel and its style of inventing and working.

India's President Pranab Mukherjee, on his part, lauded Israel's conviction in making a mark in agriculture through innovation and technology solutions.

The term 'jugaad' -- used by or known to many Indians -- means an ingenious way of getting around a problem or a bottleneck.

"Jugaad is the way we think, the way we invent, the way we work," Rivlin said while evoking images, memories, and emotions among the audience as it burst into peels of laughter.

He was speaking after inaugurating the 12th edition of Confederation of Indian Industry's (CII) biennial agro-technology and business fair, Agro Tech 2016, here along with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee.

"During my visit to India, I learned a new word called 'jugaad'. Jugaad means -- a clever solution born out of trouble. If you know Israel and Israelis, you can guess how quickly I fell in love with this word," Rivlin said as the audience broke into laughter.

"Just imagine a small nation, suffering for being different. The State of Israel is Jugaad! Jugaad is the way we think, the way we invent, the way we work," he added.

The Israeli President said people in his country had worked hard to make technological innovations and advancements.

"We in Israel were concerned about homeland security, but India taught us to think about food security. And this is why we are all here today. India and Israel are both old-new nations," he said.

Rivlin said food security is not only about surviving -- it's about thriving.

After inaugurating the event, Mukherjee said: "There is much to learn from Israel, a country which has converted its disadvantages to advantages with courage, conviction and fortitude. I am happy to share the platform with the President of Israel, a country that has made a mark in agriculture through innovation, technology solutions and converting its knowledge into value additions."

He said Israel had created water and food surplus by successfully using technology.

Talking about his experiences during his ongoing visit to India, Revlin said he visited Karnal in Haryana, where Indians and Israelis are developing new varieties of cherry tomatoes, which are an Israeli invention.

"When Indian and Israeli experts place solar panels on truck roofs to use solar energy to keep food inside fresh and prevent food waste, they are doing magic together. When Israeli companies and Indian farmers create professional and financial networks to help farmers keep growing crops, they are doing magic together."

Mukherjee and Revlin went around a section of the fair, which showcases technological innovations potentially beneficial for the agriculture sector at the Parade Ground here.

Israel is the partner country while 12 other countries are participating. Ninety-two domestic and 47 exhibitors are among the participants, including from Canada, Germany, Britain, China, Denmark, Italy, Malaysia, South Africa, Spain, the Netherlands, Turkey and the US.

Punjab and Haryana are the host states for the four-day expo while Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are the partner states.

--IANS

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