The G20 sidelights: Numbers, tales, hoardings, messages - and beyond

PM Modi began the summit by mentioning a 2,500-year-old pillar in New Delhi with a message in an "ancient language" that translates into "welfare and happiness of humanity should always be ensured"

Some numbers related to the G20 summit have made it big. For example: 200 meetings across 60 locations in the country throughout the year under India presidency — this was mentioned over and over in many announcements. But as we got into the rhythm of the leaders’ summit at Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan — even if media movement was restricted to halls some distance away — what mattered more was what the delegates and the world media said, the bilaterals, the many cuisines at the venue, the travel on the official shuttle, the bonhomie around the place, some amount of caution, and the other sidelights.

Coming to numbers, more than 15 bilateral discussions over a couple of days stood out as heads of State met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi between core sessions at the 18th G20 summit. If the number of foreign delegates has crossed 1,000, the count of international media persons with G20 accreditation is around 2,000. Add to that another 1,500 Indian journalists with accreditation to cover the mega summit, just a few months before the 2024 general elections. PM Modi, whose face is seen all along the roads leading up to Bharat Mandapam on hoardings and posters, has said: “This is about India’s message to the world… to give the world a new direction.”

To catch the new world order that India is promising at the summit, journalists are being ferried from and to a designated point, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. Every few minutes, there’s a shuttle. Estimates suggest 50 buses are plying that short distance to the venue — totalling 350 to 400 daily trips.

There are other numbers, too. The PM reminded the leaders about a 2,500-year-old pillar in the capital city with a message in an “ancient language”.  Translated into English, the message means “welfare and happiness of humanity should always be ensured”. Modi began the summit on that note.

But not everyone is as upbeat about the welfare and happiness of humanity. A broadcast journalist with Russian-Bulgarian roots working with an American channel, who wished to remain unnamed, said: “One Earth, One Family and One Future should not just be in talk, but also in deed. We should be together in this fight….” According to this media person, India could have been more forceful in its condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Doesn’t she feel uneasy about her roots in the current geopolitical atmosphere? “No, we should be honest about ourselves. If Russia is an invader, we should say so.

There are about a dozen journalists from Russia covering the summit; they, of course, have a very different view of the matter.

IN NUMBERS

200: Number of meetings throughout the year across 60 locations under India presidency
15+: Bilateral discussions between PM Modi and heads of State over a couple of days
Over 1,000: Foreign delegates in New Delhi for the summit
Around 2,000: International media persons with G20 accreditation visiting the city
1,500: Indian journalists with accreditation to cover the summit
350-400: Total daily trips undertaken by 50 buses to and from the summit venue