ICCR seeks soft power in spirituality amid fluid world order

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By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, June 2: At a time when the global order is fluid and equations are fast changing, India is tapping into the soft power, including from spirituality, to gain strategic depth. While China is said to have created a much deeper strategic depth with its Confucius Institutes world over. India lately is seen to be measuring up on the world stage by tapping into cultural traditions and connections.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), an institution tasked with the mandate for people-people-contact with culture as the theme, in an association with the ‘United Consciousness Global’ organized a conference on ‘India’s Spirituality as Soft Power’. The objective of the conference was to discuss various facets of India’s spirituality as soft power and to explore areas of mutual interest and possible cooperation.

“During the discussions, the participating organizations not only briefed about the works undertaken by them in countries abroad but also offered several constructive suggestions to advance common interests,” said the ICCR in an official statement.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the conference, President, ICCR, Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe emphasized that spirituality is at the core of Indian culture and Indian art traditions are seen as an endeavour to reach out to the divine element. While highlighting the role which India have been playing in the spiritual welfare of the global community during the testing times, he said: “India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has established itself as a part of the solutions and not the problems that the global community is facing”.

Director General of ICCR, Kumar Tuhin highlighted that there was significant overlap in the aims and the objectives of ICCR and the participating organizations and that greater synergy could be achieved in the context of pursuing cultural diplomacy goals.

The representatives of Art of Living, Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan, Chinmaya Mission, Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidhayalaya (Gayatri Parivar), Geeta Parivar, Heartfulness Institute, Isha Foundation, ISKCON, Maa Amritanandamayi Devi Amma, Mokshayatan Yog Sanstha, Parmarth Niketan Foundation, Satsang Foundation, Shri Ram Krishna Mission, Shri Swaminarayan Gurukul took part in the conference and shared their perspectives.