NEW YORK, Oct 12: A plaque with the inscription ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ has been installed in the premises of the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations here, embodying New Delhi’s commitment to unity and global collaboration.
The plaque was unveiled at a special ceremony on Wednesday by the President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj.
The gold-hued plaque with the phrase ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ written in Hindi and ‘The World is One Family’ in English adorns a wall inside the entrance of the premises of India’s Permanent Mission in the city.
The unveiling of the plaque took place a day after the Permanent Mission of India, along with the ICCR, organised an international conference on ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ at the United Nations headquarters.
India’s G20 Presidency for the year 2023 adopted the theme “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth – One Family – One Future”, signifying India’s commitment to effectively fostering unity and collaboration in addressing global challenges.
“In a way, the philosophy behind ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ has created what, in the modern parlance, we can call as brand India. This is the identity of India; this is the world view of India,” Sahasrabuddhe said at the unveiling, which was attended by several Indian officials in the UN system, diplomats as well as ICCR officials, including Director General Kumar Tuhin and Deputy Director General Abhay Kumar.
Sahasrabuddhe said that to have the plaque displayed in a “proper manner” on the premises of the Indian permanent mission is “very, very appropriate” and added that it was an “honour” to unveil the plaque in the presence of the dignitaries.
Asserting that for ICCR, culture is not just about music and dance, he said, “Democracy is a part of our culture”, and there are several areas in which Indian officials in the UN and ICCR, as well as others in India, can work together.
“While India has certainly now arrived as ‘Bharat’ globally, the understanding of India, Indian people and the imprint of India in the United Nations can be further enhanced with the contribution of people like you”, and those in India, Sahasrabuddhe said later during an interaction with the Indian officials in the UN.
Kamboj said India “walks the talk” as it both preaches and practices the philosophy of the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
“This plaque now proudly graces the main entrance of the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, embodying our commitment to unity and global collaboration,” she said in a post on X.
In March 2022, the Embassy of India in Antananarivo, Madagascar, unveiled a plaque of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ on its premises to mark the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ on the occasion of 75 years of India’s Independence.
The plaque was unveiled by the Minister of Communication and Culture of the Government of Madagascar, Andriantogarivo Rakotondrazafy Lalatiana, and then Ambassador of India to Madagascar, Abhay Kumar. (PTI)
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