Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM inaugurates - Chinese Cultural Evening

The Chinese Premier, H.E. Mr. Wen Jiabao; and the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh; jointly inaugurated a "Chinese Cultural Evening" In the capital's Siri Fort auditorium today. The event was to mark the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China. It was organized by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Ministries of Culture of both countries.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh said:

"I am truly happy to join you, Mr. Premier, in inaugurating this Chinese Cultural Evening, as we mark the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries. Given the civilizational links between our two ancient nations, there could not have been a better way for me to mark this anniversary than to participate in this 'meeting of two great cultures' today.

Indeed, cultural, intellectual, scientific, religious and trade links between India and China span several millenia. Our two civilizations have enriched each other through the ages. While the story of the spread of Buddhism from India to China is famous, the many elements of Chinese civilization that have influenced India deserve to be better known. These range from commodities such as silk and sugar, to several metaphysical and philosophical ideas which we have taken and made our own. Our respective historical records are replete with references to rare and unique elements from each other's culture.

The cross-fertilization of ideas that followed the travels of great Buddhist sages such as Kumarajiva and Bodhidharma, or Fa Hien and Xuan Zang had far-reaching effects on our civilizations.

Today, in this 55th year of our diplomatic relations, we should recognise the need for our historical bonds to be appreciated and publicized widely. We need to re-discover what we have always had and to draw on these historical riches to help us delineate where we have to take on future relations. We must learn from each other's experiences; to benefit from the ancient wisdom of our civilizations, so that mutually beneficial cooperation can be raised to the high watermark of the past. in this context, the words of our great poet and philosopher, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore are very apposite.

Speaking at the inauguration of Cheena Bhawan at Viswa Bharati University, Gurudev said, and I quote:

'The most memorable fact of human history is that of a path-opening...Such a rare event did happen and the path was built between our people and the Chinese in an age when physical obstruction needed heroic personality to overcome it, and the mental barrier, a moral power of uncommon magnitude. The two leading races of that age met, not as rivals..., but as noble friends, glorying in their exchange of gifts. Today our old friends beckon to us again, generously helping us to retrace that ancient path obliterated by the inertia of forgetful centuries - and we rejoice', Unquote.

Much has changed in our two countries since those words were spoken so many decades ago. Both our nations are engaged in the challenging task of eliminating debilitating problems of poverty, hunger, want and disease among millions of our people. Indeed, the number of people whom we seek to so uplift is unprecedented in human history. The task is enormous, and it requires both our separate efforts and cooperation with each other. Happily, we have begun this process with the many important agreements signed today, along with the historic Joint Statement.

We must, therefore, be motivated by a sense of urgency in building this strategic and cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity, to which we have agreed today. We have to seize this moment. We have, I believe, a rare opportunity today, now that a path has re-opened. Such moments arrive but rarely in history, for opportunity is like life, which, as your great poet Su Dongpo said, is like 'a flock of geese, alighting in the snow; sometimes leaving a trace of their passage'. Let us be inspired by this sense of urgency and take advantage of this historical opportunity.

The profound wisdom of our ancestors rings true today. Let us therefore enjoy the splendid gifts that our friends from China bring to us today, as we work purposefully to renew and re-build the noble friendship that our forefathers envisioned.

Our Government and our people will work sincerely to strengthen our relationship with the people of China and to strengthen the friendship between the two countries."

"Hindi-Chini Bhai-Bhai."