New Delhi, 29 September (H.S.): Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Director General K. Nandini Singla has underscored the role of India’s cultural and spiritual traditions in promoting peace and greater understanding across the world, saying that yoga, meditation, classical music and the arts can serve as powerful instruments of global harmony.

Speaking to Hindustan Samachar on the sidelines of the Hindi Fortnight Closing Ceremony at the ICCR headquarters in New Delhi on Monday, Singla said the Council seeks to take India’s message of spirituality, cultural dialogue and peace to audiences around the world.

“If the world understands Indian philosophy and thought, the possibility of war itself would disappear,” Singla said. Reflecting on the traditional Indian greeting ‘Namaste’, she explained that it represents the recognition of a shared consciousness and life force.

“In our tradition, when we say ‘Namaste’, it means that the consciousness and life force within me are also present in the person before me. The same life force exists in animals, birds and every particle of nature. When we regard everyone as part of the same consciousness, harming another person becomes akin to harming oneself,” she said.

Singla said the ICCR had made a special effort this year to involve international students more closely in the Hindi Fortnight celebrations. Quiz competitions centred on Hindi cinema, music and folk traditions were organised, while students also participated in an essay competition on the theme ‘India Resides in My Heart’.

The initiative, she said, was designed to encourage young people from different countries to engage with India’s language, civilisation, culture and heritage through a shared cultural experience.

Around 8,000 international students are currently pursuing higher education in India under ICCR’s full scholarship programme, Singla said. Many of these students, she noted, subsequently become informal cultural ambassadors for India in their respective countries.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya was also an ICCR scholar and studied at the University of Delhi. Singla said ICCR alumni have gone on to hold prominent positions, including ministerial and parliamentary offices, in several countries.

She added that international students who come to India often develop a lasting affinity for the country and its cultural traditions during their time here.

The ICCR’s alumni network has also expanded significantly, with more than 20,000 former students currently connected through its Alumni Portal. According to Singla, the platform is being developed into a more dynamic international forum for collaborative research, global conferences and academic and cultural workshops.

The Hindi Fortnight closing ceremony brought together international students from several leading Indian institutions, including the University of Delhi, Delhi Technological University and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University.

Students from 30 countries, including Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Russia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Egypt, Costa Rica, Kazakhstan, Lesotho, Tajikistan, Bhutan, Myanmar and China, shared their experiences and perspectives on the Hindi language and their engagement with India.

Among those participating were research scholars from Uzbekistan and Ukraine pursuing PhDs in Hindi at the University of Delhi. Zilola, Sabrina, Valeria and Diana addressed the gathering in Hindi, reflecting on their experiences of studying the language and living in India.

The programme also featured special video messages from Hindi enthusiasts associated with international centres in Germany and Mizoram.

The closing session concluded with the announcement of the results of various competitions organised during the Hindi Fortnight. Certificates and prizes were presented to outstanding participants and winners of the ‘India Resides in Me’ and Hindi essay-writing competitions.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar