Hyderabad, Apr 26 (UNI) Telangana Irrigation Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy warned on Saturday that liberal values were facing an unprecedented assault across the world.
Delivering the vote of thanks at the closing session of the two-day Bharat Summit 2025 at HICC here, Uttam said that freedoms of thought, speech, arts, academia, assembly, and protest were under relentless attack by extreme right-wing and authoritarian regimes globally.
He said it was a matter of pride that the Bharat Summit was being hosted in Hyderabad, Telangana, under a Congress-led government that is firmly committed to upholding liberal, democratic values.
He described the gathering as one of the world's largest of progressives, liberals, democrats, activists, thinkers, doers, change-makers, and innovators in the humanities, assembled at a time when the defence of fundamental freedoms had become a global imperative.
Reflecting on the breadth of discussions held over two days, Uttam said the Summit's sessions addressed critical themes such as global justice, environmental concerns, the spread of misinformation through technology, and the persistent challenges of gender and age discrimination.
He highlighted that a total of 450 delegates participated, with 100 delegates representing over 100 countries, collectively contributing ideas aimed at strengthening progressive ideals and resisting ideologies of hatred, division, and oppression.
Uttam noted that some of the world’s most distinguished thought leaders, political figures, activists, and policymakers had enriched the deliberations with their insights on the way forward. He said the Bharat Summit 2025 had raised a clear and urgent voice on behalf of the liberal democratic world, offering not just intellectual arguments but emotional strength to face contemporary challenges.
Acknowledging the gloom that often permeates discussions on current global affairs, Uttam said that many people feel disheartened and even hopeless when confronted with rising intolerance and authoritarianism.
However, he said, the Bharat Summit had rekindled hope by uniting not just minds but also hearts. "We have felt here that after darkness comes light, after tyranny comes democracy, and after struggle, there is victory," he said, echoing the emotional tenor of the Summit.
He reiterated that the Telangana Government, under Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s leadership, believed firmly in the principle of social justice alongside economic growth.
He thanked all the delegates and participants on behalf of the Telangana Government for attending and enriching the Summit with their presence and ideas.
He stressed that the Summit was not merely a conference but had brought together a family connected by a larger vision for humanity - one based on dignity, freedom, and justice.
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