The fate of the 10th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, scheduled in Gandhinagar on January 10-12, hangs in the air as COVID cases go on an alarming upsurge in India, with Gujarat recording close to 400 new cases in the past 24 hours.
The decision on whether to continue with the physical edition of the Summit will be taken on December 31. This is a matter of national concern, since many of the Summit’s partner countries have been placed in the At-Risk Nation category by the India government.
According to state sources, the decision on the Summit will be taken December 31 as per the order of the Prime Minister’s Office. The state government at present has decided to go ahead, with a ‘temporary plan’ to hold the Summit both online and offline, in the presence of only 400 or less people in a place. However, the Centre’s decision on this will be final.
The government had earlier announced that it would be advisable to hold the summit offline, not online, since those attending the Summit will be fully vaccinated. In addition to the 26 countries that have so far joined the event as partner countries, some of them, including European countries, are now in the At-Risk Nation category. There is a huge question mark on the attendance of delegates from such nations, since they have to quarantine for at least a week upon arrival in India.
Meanwhile, the embassies of 26 partner countries have conveyed to the Gujarat government that none of their political leaders or diplomats will attend the Summit offline. Business delegations from such nations will have to take their own decisions independently, at their own expense and risk.
A possible Third Wave that India may witness would make it difficult for any foreign attendants to visit the country.
