Tashkent: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday shared a video of his interaction with students and Indologists at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies in Uzbekistan, saying he witnessed a strong and vibrant interest in studying India and its culture.
On Sunday, PM Modi visited the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, where he interacted with students and Indologists associated with the centre. During his visit, he also signed the visitors’ book.
The Prime Minister spoke about the longstanding cultural and educational connections between India and Uzbekistan and highlighted the role of academic institutions in further strengthening people-to-people ties between the two countries.
During the interaction, students recited verses and poems written by PM Modi, an experience that visibly moved the Prime Minister. He praised the students for their dedication and for conveying the precise emotions and meaning behind the lines he had written.
The students’ recital also provided an opportunity to discuss the growing cultural exchange between India and Uzbekistan and the increasing interest among Uzbek students in India’s languages, literature and traditions.
Taking to X, PM Modi described his visit to the Mahatma Gandhi Centre as “interesting for quite a few reasons”.
“Got to see a vibrant Indology ecosystem. Saw great passion towards studying about India. Immense work on Gandhi Ji’s life. Growing interest in Tamil culture. Students also recited a few lines from poems written by me,” he said.
In a video shared on X, the Prime Minister said listening to young Uzbek students recite his poems was an emotional moment for him. He noted that although Hindi was not their native language, the students were able to convey the emotions behind the poems with remarkable accuracy.
“Today, I had the opportunity to hear the poems, written by me a long time ago, recited by these young people. Although Hindi is not their native language, the emotions they expressed during the recitation were exactly the same as they were in my heart when I was writing those poems,” PM Modi said.
“This happens only when one lives that particular language and immerses themselves completely in it,” he added.
During the interaction, an Indologist highlighted the strong affection for India among people in Uzbekistan and said Indian culture has a special place in the country.
“Maybe you will not find many nations in the world where people love India as much as they do in Uzbekistan. Everyone here knows ‘Namaste’,” she said.
She further pointed to the considerable interest among Uzbek people in Indian art and culture. The Indologist said she often tells people that anyone who genuinely wants to understand India should read the Ramayan and Mahabharat.
PM Modi also drew attention to the importance of Tamil literature and the ancient Tamil text Tirukkural during his interaction with the students and faculty members. He suggested that the text could be translated into the Uzbek language, which would provide another avenue for strengthening cultural understanding between the two countries.
The speaker present on the podium responded positively to the suggestion, saying, “Yes, we will make every effort.”
PM Modi said translating Tirukkural into Uzbek could help people in Uzbekistan gain a deeper appreciation of India’s philosophical traditions and the intellectual heritage associated with one of the world’s oldest languages.
As part of his two-day state visit to Uzbekistan, PM Modi held wide-ranging discussions with President Mirziyoyev at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace covering trade and investment, critical minerals, defence and security, innovation and start-ups, digital public infrastructure and UPI, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, agriculture, education, tourism, space, and people-to-people ties.
(IANS)
