On Wednesday, the TIME magazine announced the list of 100 most influential people in the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been named in the list and he shares the honour with actor Ayushmann Khurrana and Alphabet and Google CEO, Sundar Pichai. Bilkis, ‘the dadi from Shaheen Bagh’ finds a mention in the list. Ravindra Gupta, a professor from Cambridge has also found a spot for himself on the list.
The magazine said, “Fifty-four of the people on the list are women, more than ever before.”
JPMorgan Chase’s CEO Jamie Dimon was all praise for Pichai. He wrote, “Sundar Pichai’s uniquely American story—emigrating from India as a young adult and working his way to become CEO of a $1 trillion corporation—represents the best of what we aspire for our society.”
“The challenges Sundar faces in his role are among the most important of our time — issues of innovation, privacy, regulation and competition. But his analytical, humble and inclusive leadership will position Google to meet the moment,” he added.
Prime Minister Modi is on the list along with leaders like Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Angela Merkel and Donald Trump.“Though almost all of India’s Prime Ministers have come from the nearly 80% of the population that is Hindu, only Modi has governed as if no one else matters,” wrote TIME’s editor, Karl Vick.
Vick also criticised Modi saying, "First elected on a populist promise of empowerment, his Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party rejected not only elitism but also pluralism, specifically targeting India’s Muslims. The crucible of the pandemic became a pretense for stifling dissent. And the world’s most vibrant democracy fell deeper into shadow.”
Deepika Padukone, while talking about Ayushmann Khurrana wrote, “The reason you and I talk about him today is because of the impact he has been able to create through memorable films and iconic characters. Where male protagonist roles often fall into the trap of stereotypical masculinity, Ayushmann has successfully and convincingly transformed into characters who challenge those very stereotypes."
Ravindra Gupta, a professor of clinical microbiology at the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease found a mention in the list. An HIV positive person was cured of the disease because of a study led by him. The ‘London patient’ was the second on the planet to be cured of HIV.
“Through the years, our partnership has developed and strengthened as Gupta has shared his knowledge and his enthusiasm to find a feasible cure for everyone. He has championed me and empowered me to become an ambassador of hope to millions of people living with HIV around the world,” Adam Castillejo, the second person ever to be cured of HIV, wrote for the TIME magazine.
The list included 82-year old Bilkis, who became one of the prominent faces of the protest at Shaheen Bagh.
“Bilkis deserves recognition so the world acknowledges the power of resistance against tyranny,” said the piece by journalist Rana Ayyub.