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Connecting World Through Culture: The ‘Modi’ Way
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PM Modi has transformed the way India’s cultural diplomacy is perceived globally, connecting the world through its rich and diverse culture, traditions and heritage. Below you may read the article of our guest author, the director of the Amrita Sher-Gil Cultural Centre, Dr. Mukesh Kumar Srivastava.
Culture is considered an important conduit that transcends borders and connects with people. As such, in the last 10 years, we have seen how cultural diplomacy has emerged as a powerful foreign policy tool in strengthening India’s relations with other nations under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi has transformed the way India’s cultural diplomacy is perceived globally, connecting the world through its rich and diverse culture, traditions and heritage.
India’s global image has been elevated by PM Modi through the five pillars of Indian foreign policy “Panchamrit” – ‘Samman’ (dignity), ‘Samvad’ (dialogue), ‘Samriddhi’ (shared prosperity), ‘Suraksha’ (regional and global security) and ‘Sanskriti Evam Sabhayata’ (cultural and civilisational links), which further underscores the importance of connecting the world through culture.
As the Modi government completes a decade, it is timely to explore the various significant efforts and initiatives undertaken to connect the world through culture.
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: Spreading India’s Cultural Footprints
The very edifice of India’s world view is to perceive the entire global community as members of one family, which emanates from ancient Indian Philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (The World is One Family), embedded in the Sanskrit scripture, Maha Upanishad. This became conspicuous during the COVID-19 pandemic when India acted as a ‘Vishwa-Mitra’ (World’s friend) by extending its helping hand to the world through ‘Vaccine Maitri’. In more recent time, the theme of India’s G20 presidency, which read “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, also entails the very essence and spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’.
Alternate Health Care System: From Yoga to Ayurveda
One of the most significant initiatives in showcasing India’s soft power strengths is the international recognition of the time-tested wisdom of Indian traditional practice of Yoga. In the year 2014, following PM Modi’s call to the United Nations General Assembly, 21 June was declared as the International Day of Yoga (IDY). Thereafter, the IDY has become a global phenomenon, with overwhelming participation of millions of people worldwide in the event every year. Even during the restrictions imposed during COVID pandemic, the ‘WHO mYoga’ app was launched under the leadership of PM Modi to enable easy learning of Yoga and training practices based on Common Yoga Protocol for continued access to its benefits to millions in different languages.
The 9th edition of IDY at the UN Headquarters in 2023 witnessed an overwhelming participation from over 135 nationalities, setting a Guinness World Record for participation by maximum number of nationalities in a Yoga session. IDY 2023 also saw the creation of the ‘Ocean Ring of Yoga’, ‘Yoga for Arctic to Antarctic’, ‘Yoga at North and South poles’, ‘Yoga Bharatmala’ and ‘Yoga Sagarmala’ with the participation of around 23.14 Crore individuals.
Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), the cultural wing of the government, facilitates in organising IDY worldwide every year through its Cultural Centres, including Amrita Sher-Gil Cultural Centre (ASCC), Budapest, Hungary, as well as Indian Missions abroad. ICCR also empanels Yoga teachers to send them abroad for dissemination of yoga.
In addition, as a result of government initiatives, Ayurveda has come to be recognised as an alternate health care system in many countries across the globe. In 2014, the government granted the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy, known as AYUSH, a Ministry status. The Ministry is responsible for policy formulation, development and implementation of programmes for the growth, development and propagation of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.
The fact that Ayurveda is acknowledged as a system of traditional medicine in more than 30 countries, and Ayush products exported to over 150 nations showcase its widespread adoption internationally. It is estimated that the Nutraceutical Market in India, which stood at $4 billion in 2020, is expected to reach $18 billion by 2025.
Moreover, regulatory frameworks for the practice of Ayurveda and government approved courses for practitioners exist in countries like Australia, Switzerland, Mauritius, Malaysia, New Zealand, Serbia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Permission to practice Ayurvedic medicine are allowed in countries, including Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, Ghana, United Kingdom, USA, Netherlands, Oman, Qatar and Singapore. Also, in Hungary, the practice of Ayurvedic medicine is recognised as part of naturopathy.
