External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi, said that the world is evolving at a rapid pace and "India should not be overlooked despite having rich in cultural and historical heritages. Emphasising the role of temples in Indian society, he said that the country has umpteen temples but they were widely ignored for a long time.
Though he did not mention the Congress regime in his speech, it was evident that he was pointing fingers at the UPA-led government.
"We must realise today that the wheel of history is turning. It is coming back. There is a rise in India. That era, there was a neglect of the temple, an era when things were averse to us that era is behind us," he stated. He termed temples as the centre of knowledge and added they are the caretakers of the country's rich culture and history.
"Temples are keepers of our culture and history. They are centres of knowledge and promoters of arts and crafts," he said.
According to Jaishankar, global rebalancing is being expressed in culture as much as in politics and economics. He opined that a truly democratic and pluralistic world order must see a full expression of India’s heritage, abroad as much as at home.
"It is not enough to hold our own, we have to promote, we have to present and we have to take our culture to the rest of the world. So everything that you are doing at home, we have to find a way that this message also goes around the rest of the world," he said.
Furthermore, he asserted that the cultural diplomacy of the Modi Government is been focused on creating, rebuilding and restoring rich traditions for the benefit of the entire world. "This is Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam," he noted.
Jaishankar visits the family of the eminent poet late Subramania Bharathi
Earlier today, Jaishankar also visited the family of eminent poet and freedom fighter the late Subramania Bharathi on his birth anniversary. The minister tweeted photographs from his meeting with the family. “Privileged to visit the family of Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi in Kashi on his birth anniversary today. Humbled to receive blessings and encouragement from his grandnephew Thiru K V Krishnan Ji,” Jaishankar said.
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