Bombay was where West met East,
A veritable cultural feast.
Along with Good Indian tradition
There was also an ambition
To attain progressive Western thought.
Enlightenment was keenly sought.
The ideas of Lord Macaulay
By some are thought to be a folly.
To my mind that is a pity.
Global thinking makes a global city.
British thought of course was there.
But the French also had there share!
Of course it is only fair
To mention the Cercle Litéraire.
Several erudite Parsi Gents,
Had the gumption and the sense
To set up a French Library!
Over the years we clearly see
Many French authors came for sure,
Signed their names in the Livre d’Or!
London was a revolutionary spot!
But when the going there got hot,
To Paris, Madame Cama fled.
She set up base there instead.
The new group that we then see
Was the Paris India Society.
A recent discovery I’d like to share
Amongst the founders listed there.
My grand uncle Munchershah Godrej
Was one of those who set the stage.
France and Mumbai had so many ties.
That’s what makes this meeting wise.
Mumbai’s growth has been fast.
In recent times and in the past.
The skyline gets higher by the day.
It’s a great place to work and play.
Recently it received a shout
From none other than Time Out.
12th on the list and if you see
It ranked right behind Paris!
A coincidence, there is no doubt
But then today, worth pointing out.
The strong ties of India and France
Did not arise just by chance.
There is a certain affinity
That we all quite clearly see.
With Independence came India’s rise
And France and India’s formal ties.
A hundred years of India’s rise
A hundred years of Indo French ties.
Can we together dream of heaven
By 2047?
There’s much we can do on our own
But with dialogue we can hone
New skills to reach a greater height
Keeping this Brave New World in sight.
I must salute Jérôme Chartier
For he has found the perfect way
To ensure that we all see
An all inclusive humanity.
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
Has a very soothing hum.
As our slogan for G20
It certainly helped us plenty.
It works for us everywhere.
A brilliant concept we widely share.
Globally we should spread the word.
But back home too let it be heard.
Once we talk of us and them
Unfortunately we condemn,
Without reprieve, what we call other.
No longer are they sister, brother.
Let’s not act in moments of heat
Don’t take disputes to the street.
It is our collective duty
To see every kind of beauty.
Diversity is our strength
We should go to any length.
And in all businesses, we should see
The broadest reach of diversity.
Not only is it fair and right.
It would give us the best insight.
Since life is full of many hard knocks
We need to think out of the box.
Diversity’s the perfect aid
When we are required to wade
Through troubled waters or quagmires
Unusual thought is what inspires!
And yet creating rifts is often sought,
Between traditional and progressive thought.
However entrenched dogma may seem
Fact and truth should reign supreme.
Honest dialogue is the only way
That we can convincingly play.
For coexistence is a must
Or all of us will go bust.
Middle ground is hard to find
Unless we’re kind and use our mind.
The Entretiens can help us see
The value of shared humanity.
Mumbai has grown for very long
New infrastructure’s come on strong.
The Atul Setu, the coastal road
All this indeed will surely bode
So very well for years to come.
Our French experts will now bring some
Unusual insights to bear.
Quite different learnings they can share.
Rapid growth brings problems galore.
Mumbai’s experienced this for sure.
New solutions can help to fix it.
In good time we can be Viksit!
With enlightenment now sighted,
Surely our PM will be delighted.
Indian tradition and enlightenment light,
Together, can make our future bright.
