24 April 2018, New Delhi

Theme: “India-China Relations in the New Era”

India Foundation organised a round-table discussion with a visiting Delegation from China on 24 April 2018 at Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra, New Delhi. The theme of discussion was “India-China relations in the New Era”. The interaction witnessed scholarly and candid exchange of views from both sides on all important issues. The discussions covered a wide agenda spanning bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.

The delegates on both sides agreed that to fully realize the potential of closer development partnership between India and China, the two nations have to explore new innovative ways to get along with each other. There was a common understanding on both sides that informal set up of Wuhan Summit will help in longer term in increasing the mutual trust, managing and controlling disputes and deepening cooperation and will lead to a new phase in India-China relations.

Both sides agreed that as two major countries and large emerging economies, healthy development of India-China relations is very important for the emergence of Asian Century because commonalities between two nations outweigh the differences and thus both countries must build on the convergences, while seeking mutually acceptable resolution of the differences. Indian side reaffirmed that in making efforts to progress the bilateral relations in diverse areas, both sides needs to maintain peace and tranquillityon the borders because it is an essential pre-requisite for the smooth development of bilateral relations.

Indian side reiterated its position to the Chinese delegates that China should recognize the common threat posed by terrorism and should strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.On Indo-Pacific, Chinese delegates opined that the Indo-Pacific strategy is an idea for the United States and other countries to connect the Indian Ocean and the Pacific region, to constrain China’s rise from a geopolitical perspective, and to safeguard its own leadership and interests in the region.On the question related to Belt & Road initiative, Indian side made it clear that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) violates India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and no country would accept a project that ignores its core concerns.

The 7 Member Delegation from China was headed by Mr. RuanZongze, Vice President, China Institute of International Studies and other member of the Delegation were Mr. Zhang Sheping (Counsellor, Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China), Mr. Zhang Yansheng(Principal Researcher，China Center for International Economic Exchanges), Mr. Zhang Hui (Associate Dean of School of Economics of Peking University), Mr. Wang Xu (Professor of Center of South Asian Studies of Peking University), Mr. Lu Daming(Third Secretary of Division of Information and Public Diplomacy of Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China) and Dr. Yao Yuanmei, Second Secretary, Political Division, Chinese Embassy, New Delhi. On Indian side, Shri Ram Madhav, (National General Secretary, BJP and Director, India Foundation), Shri Ashok Kantha (Director, Institute of Chinese Studies), Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha (FormerC-in-C, Western Naval Command, Indian Navy), Shri Shakti Sinha (Director, NMML), Prof.Srinkanth Kondapalli (Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi), Dr Sonu Trivedi (Assistant Prof, Delhi University), Maj Gen Dhruv C Katoch  (Director, India Foundation), Shri Alok Bansal (Director, India Foundation), Shri P. Stobdan (Former Ambassador and Senior Fellow, IDSA) and Senior Research Fellows of India Foundation participated in the round-table discussion.

India Foundation in association with the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library hosted a Civic Reception in honour of the Prime Minister of Nepal, Shri K.P.Sharma Oli on 7 April 2018, at Hotel ITC Maurya, New Delhi. Present at the civic reception were Shri Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, Government of India and Director, India Foundation; Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Law and Justice and Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, Gen. (Dr) V.K.Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, Government of India and a host of prominent citizens representing civil society to include political leaders, officers from the defence and police forces, bureaucrats, diplomats, journalists, scholars, academics and others. The Prime Minister of Nepal was accompanied by his wife, Smt Radhika Shakya Oliand by Shri Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal.

Delivering the Welcome Address of the evening, Shri Suresh Prabhu termed the India – Nepal relationship as one that is ‘unique and incomparable’. He stressed on building a new trade relationship with Nepal, which will in turn drive the economy of both the countries. He spoke about his aim of being able to create more job opportunities in Nepal by means of Indian investments, skill development and setting up food processing industries. He also laid emphasis on the need of having a Nepal-India joint tourism circuit, to enable the tourists visiting South Asia to not miss out on visiting Nepal. He concluded by thanking the Prime Minister of Nepal and expressed optimism on having a continued warm and friendly relationship between the two countries.

In his address, the Union Law Minister Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad spoke of the cultural and historical linkages between the two neighbours which makes them natural allies rather than just the fact of being geographic neighbours. The minister also highlighted the success of India’s transformational program of digitally empowering the citizens of the country and assured the Prime Minister of Nepal that India would provide assistance to Nepal in following a similar path towards digital empowerment.

In his address to the gathering, Prime Minister Oli spoke of his vision of being able to structurally realise the constitutional spirit of “Government at Doorstep” for the citizens of Nepal. He elaborated on his government’s mandate to work for the long-cherished socio-economic transformation of the country and highlighted his dream of a prosperous Nepal, where people will have decent living and youths will have decent jobs; where the infrastructure will be better and vast and untapped resources will be converted into economic benefits and wealth. He then called upon the countries of the neighbourhood to help the landlocked Himalayan country in realising this dream by sharing their experiences of development.

Speaking of the India-Nepal relationship, Prime Minister Oli called it a relationship blessed by the wisdom of saints and sages. He said that the India-Nepal relationship has grown multi-dimensional in the 21st century and that intermittent glitches will not hamper the age old ties that bind the two countries from the pre-historic times. He assured the people of India that Nepal would not allow any external power to use its soil against the sovereign interests of the Republic of India. Touching upon the bilateral trade relationship, he expressed hope on being able to cover the trade deficit that exists between Nepal and India and also spoke on the scope of cooperation on hydropower and tourism projects.

Moving from the immediate neighbourhood to an extended neighbourhood of Asia, Prime Minister Oli spoke of the Asian Renaissance and how the region has been home to the world’s oldest and most affluent civilisations. This region has given the world the best of artists and architects; physicists and meta-physicists; and the most sophisticated education system with the most enlightened writings of government and statecraft. Not only intellectually but also culturally and geographically the Asian region is one of the most diverse regions and is moving steadfast on the path of development despite the regional challenges. The Asian values of universal fraternity, peaceful co-existence, respect for diversity and sense of equality guide the way as these are the values that stand as fortress to ensure peace and security in the world and sustainability of its development.

He concluded by optimistically speaking of seizing the opportunity to boost the enablers of the bilateral relationship and explore new vistas of collaboration. He said that a peaceful, stable, prosperous and democratic Nepal is in the interest of India as well as that of the larger neighbourhood and expressed hope of being able to build upon the mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries in the 21st century.
Delivering the concluding remarks of the evening, Gen. (Dr) V.K.Singh expressed optimism on the age old relationship becoming even stronger and broader after the bilateral consultations between the Heads of Governments of the two countries.

The vote of thanks was delivered by Shri Shakti Sinha, Director, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.
Please Click Here to access the photographs of the evening.

The changing contours of global terror in today’s time poses a direct threat to the security of the citizens of any country as well as to international stability and prosperity. The 4th Counter Terrorism Conference (CTC) was organised by India Foundation in Gurugram, Haryana, in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Government of Haryana and the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D). Thirty-three countries sent their delegates/speakers for CTC 2018, the total attendance including from Indian participants being in excess of 350 delegates.
The delegates engaged in intellectual brainstorming to address the theme for CTC 2018, ‘Changing Contours of Global Terror’. The theme was addressed in six sub-themes as under:

• Ideological Challenges;
• Trends of the New Age Terrorism;
• Af-Pak Region as the Epicentre of Global Terror;
• Constructing Effective Counter Narratives;
• Politics of terror and
• Future of Terrorism and Terrorism of Future.

Day 1, March 14, 2018: Inaugural Session

The inaugural session was addressed by Mr Rajnath Singh, Union Minister of Home Affairs, Government of India, Dr YubrajKhatiwada, Minister of Finance, Government of Nepal, Mr Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister, Haryana, and Mr Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Government of India and also Director, India Foundation.

In his introductory remarks, Mr Jayant Sinha, highlighted the fact that the annual series of Counter Terrorism Conferences organised by India Foundation since 2015 have created greater awareness among the global community on the widespread tentacles of terrorism and have provided a forum for thought leaders to express their views on the subject and come out with viable policy options to combat the menace.

Thereafter, in his welcome address, Mr Manohar Lal Khattar, while welcoming the delegates, focused on the global consequences of terrorism and committed his government to provide further support for future editions of the CTC, as a step in addressing the problem and coming up with viable solutions.

In his Special Address, Dr Yubraj Khatiwada emphasised the point that terrorism as a phenomenon is not confined to a particular society, country or a region, but is a global problem which has a deleterious impact on society. He said, “Terrorism does not only cause destruction of lives and properties, but it also seeks to uproot the very foundation of our civilization and values.”
While delivering the Inaugural Address, Mr Rajnath Singh reiterated that terrorism has become a global phenomenon which poses major threat to international peace, security and stability.

While commenting on the concerns and challenges related to growing radicalisation, he said, “Radicalisation of populace, particularly youth, is another trend and one of the most challenging problems being faced the world over. Several countries in the world have identified this problem and have taken measures to check and control the process of radicalisation and I am happy to state that India has timely busted some modules that were planning to orchestrate terrorist attacks on her soil.” He also outlined the initiatives of Government of India, stating, “Government of India in tandem with all the state governments has adopted a multi-pronged approach to deal with the emerging situation. What we need is a sustained united effort, to identity and neutralise the terror modules operating across the globe. Only then, our dream of ‘New India’ can be realised, which aims to eliminate terrorism completely.”

Day 1, March 14, 2018: Keynote Address
The keynote address was delivered by Mr Rehmatullah Nabil, Former Director, National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan. Mr Nabil in his address spoke of the security challenges being faced by Pakistan, both externally from Pakistan and internally from an unstable society. He gave details of the involvement of the Pakistani State in supporting terror activities in Afghanistan, stating, “Pakistan has played an important role in the catastrophic failure simply by using religious extremism and terrorism as a foreign policy tool. Pakistan has not been a reliable ally of the international community; its army and intelligence continue to play a double game with the international community on fighting terrorism and extremism.”
Pre Conference Workshops

Two Counter Terrorism Simulation Labs were organised before the inaugural session, both by Mr Marc Kahlberg, Head, Vital Cyber Int and his colleague Mr Amir. They gave a detailed presentation on how technology, especially radio waves, could be exploited to detect and prevent terrorist attacks. In fighting terrorism, Mr Marc emphasised the need to adopt a proactive approach rather than a reactionary response. He stressed on using behavioural pattern and profiling to predict and prevent crime and other terror acts. The second workshop or Counter Terrorism Simulation Lab, was on the exploitation of artificial intelligence in collecting intelligence. The need for a shift in emphasis from big data to big knowledge was also emphasised.

March 15, 2018: Session 1 – Global Terrorism: Ideological Challenges

A Special Keynote Address was delivered by Major General Ahmed Mohammed, Chief of Training and Operations, Nigerian Army, before the start of Session 1, which was chaired by Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha (Retd.), Former C-in-C, Western Naval Command, Indian Navy. Mr. Ahmed gave a detailed presentation on the Boko-Haram and the rise of non-state actors against Government of Nigeria. In his address, he said, “Terrorism and insurgency are not a new phenomenon in Nigeria. These phenomena predate independence but, they have attained a new dimension wearing international outlook based on the linkages between other terrorist groups in the West African sub-region and other parts of Africa.” He highlighted the impact of poverty and inequality prevalent in society in causing insurgency, refugee influx, gender violence, food insecurity and widespread diseases.

The panelists in session 1 comprised Mr. James Dorsey, Senior Fellow, Middle East and North Africa, RSIS; Mr Abdel Bari Atwan, Editor-in-Chief Rai Al-Youm and Founder and Former Editor-in-Chief, Al-Quds Al-Arabi, Palestine; Mr. Syed Salman Chishty, Gaddi Nashin-Dargah, Ajmer Sharif and Chairman, Chishty Foundation, India; and Mr. Yubaraj Ghimire, journalist and writer, Nepal. The session was chaired by Capt (IN) Alok Bansal, Director, India Foundation. Capt Bansal in his opening remarks, stressed on the need to understand the ideology as confronting such an ideology was as important as combatting the physical aspects of terrorist violence. Mr. Dorsey however disregarded the ideological nature of the challenge and opined that the challenge is political in nature, stating, “Social media is just a vehicle in the hand of the terrorists. It is not the driver of terrorism.” He said that counter-narrative against the terrorism can be effectively constructed only if there is a dream and a political will. Mr. Atwan identified military intervention as the basic reason behind formation of failed states, which ultimately gives birth to acts causing terrorism. He suggested good governance, non-intervention and employment opportunities as the basic drivers of safer environment. Mr. Ghimire discussed the ideological challenge behind the insurgency movement in Nepal. Mr. Chisty attributed the lack of awareness about the history of faith as the major ideological challenge in the fight against terrorism. He opined, “Strength of values from all faiths and religion can bring the communities together, weaken the radical outfits and attack their recruiting propaganda.”

Session 2– Trends of the New Age Terrorism

As a prelude to this session, Mr Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Government of India and Director, India Foundation, delivered the Keynote Address. He identified terrorism as having direct and indirect consequences on economic activities worldwide and opined that diversity of religious presence in India makes the country an ideal place to fight the new age terrorism.

The panelists in Session 2 comprised Ms Anne Speckhard, Director of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE), Mr Vladimir Andreev, Deputy Head, Department on New Challenges and Threats, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia and Mr Syed Ata Hasnain, Former GOC, 15 Corps, India. The session was chaired by Maj. Gen. Dhruv C. Katoch, Director, India Foundation. Ms. Speckhard said that new age terrorism is “selling a dream” and thus, it becomes imperative to dissect this dream and bring out the reality in front of the world. She shared counter-narrative videos, giving out insights on how de-radicalisation can be mobilised. Mr. Andreev discussed the growth of terrorism into a global threat becoming aggressive and effective. He described the modern global terror to include innovative weapons of chemical, biological and nuclear nature. Gen. Hasnain highlighted the challenge in defining the term “terrorism” due to its complex and dynamic nature. He stressed on the changes in technological means and ideological drivers of terrorism. He identified the state sponsored non-state actors as the toughest challengers to fighting new age terrorism.

Session 3–Af-Pak Region as the Epicentre of Global Terror

The keynote address in Session 3 was delivered by Mr Amar Sinha, Former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, India, with Dr. A. P. Maheshwari, Director General, Bureau of Police Research and Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India chairing the session. Mr. Sinha stressed on the need to shift the focus on Pakistan as epicentre of terrorism as Afghanistan was but a victim of the terror that is being directed from Pakistan. In his address, Mr Sinha stated, “Strong Afghanistan governed from Kabul is in India’s interest.” He appreciated the efforts of Government of Afghanistan to negotiate with Taliban and demanded the rejection of victim-narrative of Pakistani army.

The panelists in session 3 comprised Habil Christian Wagner, Senior Fellow, Stiftung Wissenschaft and Politik, German Institute for International and Security affairs, Germany; Ms C. Christine Fair, Associate Professor, Edmund A Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Washington, USA; Mr AbusamatKhaydarov, Former Ambassador, Uzbekistan and Mr Fredric Grare, Charge de Mission of Asia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France. The session was chaired by Mr Rajiv Dogra, Former Ambassador, India. Mr. Wagner differentiated between the western experience and the South Asian experience on the impact of global terrorism. He rejected the act of getting militants in mainstream politics by Pakistan and appreciated India’s greater role in promoting collective security in the region through institutions like BIMSTEC. Ms C. Christine Fair, in her presentation, said that USA aids Pakistan to gain access to Pakistani line of communication and air space to help in its efforts in stabilising the situation in Afghanistan. She expressed her concerns over the use of nuclear coercion and jihadism by Pakistan and suggested the use of sub-conventional deterrence by India against Pakistan. Mr. Khaydarov expressed his concerns over Islamic radicalisation of youth in the Af-Pak region. He opined that economic stability along with upliftment of health and education will help establish a stable Afghanistan. Mr. Fredric Grare highlighted the fight between IS and Taliban for control of territory at few places and their alliance in fighting at other places. He remarked, “It is no coincidence that a country that is the most affected and supports terrorism the most, is the least democratic nation.”

Session 4–Constructing Effective Counter Narratives

The panelists in session 4 of the Counter Terrorism Conference comprised Dr A. P. Maheshwari, Director General, Bureau of Police Research and Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India; Mr Shafqat Munir, Research Fellow, Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), Bangladesh; Mr Nalin Prabhat, Special Additional DGP (Operations), Government of Andhra Pradesh, India and Mr M. Ashraf Haidari, DG (Policy & Strategy), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Afghanistan. The session was chaired by Lt Gen. K. Himalay Singh, former Corps Commander, 16 Corps, India. Gen. Himalay Singh highlighted the lack of efforts in constructing counter-narratives which is of strategic importance. Mr Prabhat made his presentation on “Sharia in conflict with democracy” and suggested the need to create counter-narrative by credible voices within the community and focus on long-term measures of perception management. In his presentation, Mr Munir suggested the use of the term “alternative-narrative” instead of “counter-narrative”. According to him, there is no one size fits all policy and therefore, different narratives should be properly calibrated and presented. He suggested the policy-makers to think beyond operational perspective in countering terrorism and stressed on the need to focus on strategic measures in constructing alternative narratives. Dr Maheshwari regarded identification of root cause as the most important task for diagnosing the problem of terrorism. He said that terrorists are also entrepreneurs who are educated and evolved with time to form innovative ideas. Mr. Haidari, in his presentation, emphasised on joint assessment and common understanding by all States on the definition and counter measures to fight terrorism. He suggested that there should be a mutually agreed upon strategy at both international and regional level.

Special Address

A Special address was delivered by Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Raksha Mantri, Government of India; Director, India Foundation and Mr Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Government of India. In his address, Mr. Rijiju rejected the difference between good and bad form of terrorism and said that there is no scope of soft approach in dealing with terrorism. He identified financing to be the lifeline of terror activities. On the issue of human rights, he said, “Human rights thrive only when there is security in the society.” In her address, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman said that feeling of lagging behind in fight against terrorism can be attributed to the very nature of terrorism as it creates newer innovative challenges at every step. She said that nature of terror in today’s world is such that we all are facing newer and newer challenges every day and it is more compounded by the fact that today, technology plays a very big role. Smt. Sitharaman also pointed out that every organised and well-structured response to terrorism sometimes has an Achilles heel which a lone wolf can always target. So, to combat the lone wolf attacks, it becomes imperative to unite and innovate our responses in fighting terrorism.

Day 3, March 16, 2018: Session 5 – Politics of Terror

The keynote address in session 5 was delivered by Gen. V. K. Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, Government of India. Gen. Singh emphasised on the importance to think on the lines of politics behind terror. He traced the ideological evolution in World War II and commented that Cold War persists in terms of competing to dominate ideological influence and in this context, terrorism is being used as a tool. He said that the politics can be couched in religious or ideological terms and terrorism is being used to further such political aims. In his address, the Minister also expressed his concerns over identification of ‘backers’ of terrorism and their political self-interests. He said that there is no dearth of academic endeavour on the political system that works behind the scene and aids the terrorist movements.

The panelists in Session 5 comprised Mr Stephen Tankel, Assistant Professor, School of International Service, American University, USA; Mr Min ZawOo, Executive Director, Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security; Mr Alexander Evans, Deputy High Commissioner, British High Commission and Mr RinatAbubakirov, Expert, Ministry of Defence, Russia. The session was chaired by Ms Prabha Rao, Senior Fellow, IDSA, India. In his speech, Mr. Evans traced the trans-national terrorist attacks and the political element which indulged in the attacks. According to him, the challenges can be summed up in three words; counting, considering and cooperating. Mr Evans further added that while conducting a political analysis, it is important to remember the information asymmetry and the element of surprise and unpredictability. In his presentation, Mr Tankel expressed his concerns over shift of political element from political violence to terrorism. Mr. Zaw narrated how Myanmar is the field of the longest running civil war. He presented a historical understanding of the peace process in Myanmar and the political elements behind it. Mr. Abubakirov discussed the Russian process of unearthing the politics of terrorism and discussed the Russian involvement in the conflict in Syria.

Session 6: Future of Terrorism and Terrorism of Future

The panelists in session 6 of CTC 2018 comprised Mr Marc Kahlberg, Head, Vital Cyber Int, Israel; Mr Ma Xiangwu, Professor, China; Ms Jacinta Carroll, Director National Security Policy, National Security College, Australian National University and Mr Ismail Ahmed Al Hadidi, Oman. The session was chaired by Mr R. N. Ravi, Chairman, Joint Intelligence Committee, India. Mr. Ravi commenced the session by commenting on terrorism becoming an easy, effective, low cost tool in the hands of self-interested violent outfits. He expressed his concerns over the complication of the situation when States indulge in terrorist activities to achieve their personal objectives. Mr. Mr Ismail described the fragile nature of security in Oman due to its geographical proximity with Yemen, Syria and Iraq. In her presentation, Ms Carroll discussed the emerging tactical trends, technical trends and strategic trends of terrorism. She further stressed on the need of counter-terrorism strategy of every nation and denial of safe heavens. In his presentation, Mr. Kahlberg discussed the threat in relation to global stability. He mentioned the growth of “virtual Caliphate” and the threat it posed to the global citizenry. Mr. Ma Xiangwu discussed peoples’ war against terrorism in China and highlighted the unique nature of counter-terrorism approach in China. He said that the Western world prefers to use military force, but China does not stress on the use of military force.

Valedictory Session

Mr Rajiv Gauba, Home Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, delivered the Valedictory Address. He highlighted the growing overlap between terrorist activities and organised crime and expressed his concerns over justification of terrorism by some countries and providing safe havens to terrorists. He also called for a greater coordinated effort to fight terrorism along with the political view.

On the invitation of International Department of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China (IDCPC), an eight member delegation of India Foundation visited Beijing and Shanghai from 06 March-10 March 2018.

The Delegation of India Foundation was led by Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha (Retd.), Former C-in-C, Western Naval Command, Indian Navy. The other members of the India Foundation Delegation were Maj Gen Dhruv C Katoch (Retd.), Director, India Foundation; Shri Gautam Mukhopadhaya, Former Ambassador; Shir Hari Kiran Vadlamani, Director, India Foundation International; Dr Sonu Trivedi, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Zakir Husain Delhi College (University of Delhi), Dr. Shristi Pukhrem, Senior Research Fellow, India Foundation; Shri Siddharth Singh and Shri Krishan Bishnoi, Research Scholar, JNU.

The India Foundation Delegation visited the HQ of IDCPC and interacted with Mr GuoYezhou, Vice-Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee and with other Senior officials of IDCPC.

The interactions witnessed scholarly and candid exchange of views from both sides on critical issues such as Sino-India relations in the changing global order of 21^st century as well as the possibility of cooperation between India and China in South Asia & Southeast Asia.Both sides agreed to examine the possibility of working simultaneously at bilateral and multilateral fronts to manage their differences and promote a just global order. This could in future create an India-China cooperative model for the future development of both countries. Both countries should keep the momentum of development of bilateral ties, manage existing differences and promote shared development. They should also step up strategic cooperation at multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) and work together to shape the new emerging international order in 21^st century.

Mr GuoYezhou, Vice-Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, hosted lunch for the visiting delegation of India Foundation.

The delegation of India Foundation also visited China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) in Beijing and interacted with Amb. Qi Zhenhong, President of CIIS. Vice President Rong Ying and Research Fellows from Department for Developing Countries Studies of CIISattended the meeting from the Chinese side.

India Foundation Delegation visited Development Research Centre of the State Council (DRC) of People’s Republic of China in Beijing and interacted with Mr HouYongzhi, Director General, DRC and Senior Officials in the Institute. The interaction at DRC were centered around the economic development of China and how both countries can partner in economic development of the region in making 21^st century as Asia’s century.

During its interaction in Shanghai, the India Foundation delegation visited Shanghai Institute for International Studies (SIIS). The delegation interacted with Mr Chen Dongxiao, President, SIIS and exchanged views on international and regional situations and bilateral relations. Director of the Institute of International Strategic Studies Wu Jinsi, Associate Professor Liu Zongyi of the Asia Pacific Research Centre, Associate Professor Chen Youjun, and Assistant Professor Zhang Zhexin attended the meeting from the Chinese Side.

In Shanghai, India Foundation delegation visited and interacted with Huayang Communityandalso visited Museum of Cohesion Project in Shanghai.

In its interaction at various institutions in Beijing and Shanghai, both sides agreed that the foreign policy and strategic circles of the two countries need to maintain dialogues and communications on a regular basis. Equally important, people-to-people exchanges are indispensable to consolidate better understanding of the will of the people of the two countries.

A conference on India-Mongolia Relations was organised by India Foundation and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in collaboration with the Embassy of Mongolia and the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) at the Convention Center, JNU, New Delhi. Both India and Mongolia are regions of ancient wisdom and youthful dynamism. The relation between the two can be described on the basis of the eight-fold path of Lord Buddha, which prescribe not just the path to happiness of individuals, but also a guide to the wellbeing of societies and nations. It is a message of kindness, love and compassion for all. Prime Minister Narendra Modi while speaking in the Mongolian Parliament said, “The convergence of Buddhism and democracy provides us a path to build an Asia of peace and cooperation, harmony and equality.” This conference thus aimed to further deepen the relationship as described by the Indian Premier.

Inaugural Address

Prof. R.P. Singh, Rector, JNU, said that the relation between the two countries could be seen from the prism of culture and economy. He stated that in the 21st century, soft power would be a defining factor in the relationship between states and that culture would have an important role to play. Indian culture has travelled to Mongolia through literature, films, serials, and yoga. India needs to take its relation with Mongolia to a different level by engaging more and more in different fields.

Special Address

Mr. Gonching Ganbold, Ambassador of Mongolia in India, said that India and Mongolia ties have grown in last 60 years and have seen a further spurt in the last 25 years of democracy in Mongolia. The visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mongolia was a landmark event in the history of the two countries. Geographically, Mongolia is a landlocked country with abundance of natural resources. India can cooperate and assist Mongolia in its development, alleviation of poverty and unemployment. He said, “India is becoming closer to heart and mind, and now it’s the time to complement each other and move ahead shoulder to shoulder.”

Keynote Address 

Mr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, President, ICCR, laid emphasis on the multidimensional aspect of the India-Mongolia relationship — cultural, spiritual, commercial, and business. He also highlighted the fact that both countries being democracies, added to the strength of the relationship. He also spoke of the aspirational nature of Indian society, quoting a couplet from Allama Iqbal’s ‘Tarana-e-Hind’ written in 1904 in this respect:

“Yunan-o-Misr-o-Roma sab mit gaye
jahan se ab tak magar

Hai baki naam-o-nishan hamara,

Kuch baat hai ki hasti mit-ti nahi hamari;

Sadiyon raha hai dushman daur-e-zamana hamara”.

Broadly, the English translation of the above verse is: “Greek, Egyptians and Romans have all vanished, but we are still here. There must be something special that we still exist despite the whole world being against us”.

In the above context, Shri Sahasrabuddhe said that the World is looking towards eastern civilisation, and is drawing inspiration from spirituality and culture of the East. India Mongolia relations could offer the world a gross cultural product that would be unique. He said that the time has also come to take cultural diplomacy to developmental diplomacy, where culture would provide roots to evolve development.

Session-I

Mr. S. Chuluun spoke on the heritage of Khutukhtu Monastery. He said that since the thirteenth century onwards, Buddhist literature has been translated from Tibetan and Sanskrit to the Mongolian language. Even today, there are lots of Sanskrit origin words in Mongolian language. He said that from seventeenth century to nineteenth century lots of Buddhist commentaries and books on Buddha were deciphered from Sanskrit and Tibetan by Mongolian Buddhists.

Prof. Sharad Soni spoke on the historical linkages of India and Mongolia. Quoting from former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee he said that both India and Mongolia were ancient lands with ancient cultures. He said India is not only the homeland of Buddha but also land of knowledge. He described India and Mongolia as ‘Spiritual Neighbours.’ Buddhism reached Mongolia from India through Central Asia in 3rdcentury BCE. Buddhism is adopted as state religion in Mongolia. The Swayambhu is Sanskrit origin word, whose first letter is represented in Mongolian national flag. He pointed out how important Indian culture is in Mongolian day-to-day life. India was the first non-socialist country to be recognised by Mongolia. During 1962 India-China war, Mongolia was the first county to support India.

Ms. D Purejav talked about issues of studies of Dandin’s Kavyadarsa in Mongolian literature. Unfortunately, in last few decades the Mongolian literature is losing its oriental and native character and increasingly getting based only on western literary tendencies. Therefore, a study and comment of Dandin’s theory of poetics which bears oriental civilisation, cultural and thinking traditions, takes an important place in the development of modern Mongolian literature. In oriental literature and languages ‘Kavyadarsa’ has been played an important role like Aristotle’s ‘Poetics’ in Western literatures and languages. This Indian theory of poetics was translated into many languages such as Pali, Tibetan and Mongolian.

Mr. Ravi Bhoothalingam identified how culture and business are closely interconnected. According to him, to do business it is essential to know the shared values between the countries along with the historical understanding. He spoke about the role of Genghis Khan during the ancient time which was having globalised empire where administration was run by multinational people. He stated that learning from culture was always a two way process and this would develop a mutual trust which would act as foundation for the business.

Session- 2

1. Purevsuren said that India and Mongolia were ancient cultures, which were created by the ancient people of Asia. The link between two nations is fascinating and unique by transmission of heritage and ideas. Now the two counties are moving from spiritual neighbours to strategic partners.

Ms. Rami Niranjan Desai narrated journey of Kushok Bakula Rinpoche from a Buddhist monk in India to Ambassador of India to Mongolia. He was recognised as the thirteen Dalai Lama of Bakula Arhat, one of the Sixteenth disciples of Gautama Buddha. In 1990 he took the office of India’s ambassador to Mongolia, when Mongolia was still a communist county. There was political turmoil going on in Mongolia. People who were revolting against the government wanted to meet Bakula, but being ambassador he was not supposed to meet the people who were revolting against the government. But he decided to meet them without directly talking about the politics. When he met them, he told them to never resort to violence and to remember the Indian struggle for freedom. He gave sacred threads to the people who wore them and sat on the streets, non-violently agitating against the government. After that, the talks took place and government agreed to pave the wave for democracy.

He traveled to communist Russia and there also he not only preached Buddhism but also created a Buddhist monastery. In Mongolia, he created the residential monasteries for the monks. Teachers from Sikkim and Tibet were brought for the guidance of the monks. He didn’t want to mould the monasteries on the Indian or Tibetan pattern, but he wanted to make them inclusive and orderly. He put efforts to ensure that the spiritual role of women was not ignored and they were given the same importance as men. He retired in 2000, but even after retirement, he used to visit Mongolia often as he was very attached to Mongolia. He passed away in 2003. A boy in Leh was recognised as 20th Bakula and 14th Dalai Lama.

Ms. Ayush Oyuntungalag spoke about the younger generation’s language and culture in Mongolia. She stressed on how Mongolians have been conscious about their language and culture, despite having lived among different civilisations and different cultures and how people have been able to preserve their culture.

Dr. Vaishali Krishna spoke on how the India-Mongolia relations are evolving from civilisational ties to strategic partnership. She quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that democracy and Buddhism bind India with Mongolia, India’s spiritual friend. The two countries share a multi dimensional relation extending from political, economical, to cultural ties. Mongolia followed the path of non-alignment. It can play a prominent role in India’s act east policy. India and Mongolia need to strengthen their economic and defence ties by involving with each other on a larger scale. Mongolia is having large number of resources that could be utilised by growing cooperation. The role of China cannot be ignored and Mongolia is following the third neighbour policy with regard to India.

Mr. Phunchok Stobdan, a former diplomat, who chaired the session, spoke about the political difficulties in the 1990s and how Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, a monk was sent as ambassador to Mongolia and the successful role he played there. He emphasised on the need to focus upon ancient Buddhist literature and monasteries like Vikramshila. The cultural and spiritual ties between India and Mongolia can become even stronger. Mongolia has got abundant natural resources but scarcity of manpower. India and Mongolia can work together to help each other in various fields.

(This article is carried in the print edition of March April 2018 issue of India Foundation Journal.)

Dharma – Dhamma Conference, an annual platform in its fourth edition is an effort by India Foundation to revive the narrative on dharma-dhamma traditions and make them relevant in finding solutions and forming policies for the state in the 21st century. The event was organized by India Foundation in collaboration with Nalanda University, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and the Vietnam Buddhist University on 11 to 13 January 2018 at Rajgir, Bihar. The event was organized as part of the commemorative events to celebrate the silver jubilee of ASEAN – Indian Dialogue Partnership.

The theme for 4th Dharma – Dhamma Conference – State and Social Order in Dharma-Dhamma Traditions, aimed at emanating meaningful discourse on applying the values embedded in dharma-dhamma traditions to the practice of statecraft and social order. The Conference also witnessed a paper presentation by eminent and bright scholars on the sub-themes of: State, Governance and Social Order in Dharma Traditions; State and Social Order in Dhamma Traditions; Ecology & Environmental Consciousness in Dharma Dhamma Traditions; Peace & Conflict in Dharma Dhamma Traditions; Dharma Dhamma Traditions in Gandhi, Ambedkar, Lohia and Deen Dayal Upadhayay; Idea of Rashtra (Nation) in Dharma Dhamma Traditions; Buddhism and other Belief Systems; and Traditions and Practices.

Day 1 : January 11, 2018

Inaugural Session

The fourth edition of the Dharma-Dhamma tradition was inaugurated by the President o India Shri Ram Nath Kovind. Present on the occasion  were Shri Satya Pal Malik, Governor of Bihar, Shri Tilak Marapanna, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka, Shri Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Sushil Modi, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Ms. Preeti Singh, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and Prof. Sunaina Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Nalanda University.

Shri Ram Nath Kovind

In his inaugural address the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind said that organising an event of such stature in the historic city of Rajgir, Bihar had brought the twin tradition of Dharma and Dhamma to their home. The historical significance of Dharna and Dhamma is the backbone of celebrating India – ASEAN relationship. While both these traditions maybe diverse, they guide to the same desired goal of ethical conduct and purposeful statecraft. He also said that Nalanda was the embodiment of knowledge and wisdom with international character and so this conference should act not just as a diplomatic platform, but influence the values and statecraft.

Shri Nitish Kumar

The Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Nitish Kumar proposed the idea of reviving Nalanda as the centre of conflict resolution and Rajgir to be declared as a world heritage site. He said that Rajgir has always been the centre of different traditions and remembered as the land of knowledge, therefore the conference must seek to revive the values of truth, non-violence, love, compassion, peace which have been the foundation of every religion and tradition.

Shri Tilak Marapanna

Shri Tilak Marapanna, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka, highlighted the importance of dharma principles in shaping the society and thus, the conference should be interpreted to seek peace and prosperity based on the twin traditions in the contemporary world. He remarked that Buddhist preachings are important to understand the virtues of government, ensure welfare of people and unite the global audience through spirituality. These fundamental values should be reflected in the current and future policies.

Ms. Preeti Saran

Ms. Preeti Saran, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India spoke of the historical linkage between the ASEAN and the revival of Nalanda University to improve regional understanding of culture and history. She said that Nalanda has been the hallmark of internationalism and cultural interconnection. This identity should be utilised by this conference to contribute in knowledge creation which can be used in reduction of conflict and ensuring peace, harmony and cooperation.

Plenary Session – 1

The first plenary session was chaired by Prof. Arvind Sharma, Professor of Comparative Religion, McGill University. The plenary speakers were Prof. Makarand Paranjpe from Jawaharlal Nehru University and Dr. David Frawley, Vedacharya and Padmashree awardee. Dr. David Frawley based the foundation of world on the inner unitary consciousness of dharma and dhamma. He regarded dharma and dhamma to be same in spirit of being universal principles, differing only outwardly as limbs of the society. He highlighted the difference between dharmic civilisation and western civilisation, where the ultimate objective of the former is the direct experience of truth beyond any complex understanding of concepts.

Prof. Paranjpe spoke on ‘Bharat Shakti and Swaraj: Towards 2nd Renaissance’, where he reflected upon the relationship between dharma and statecraft. According to him, dharma is the foundation of social and cultural structure of India and so, India must be reborn for the future of the world. He remarked “When India rises, it is the Sanatan Dharma that rises.” Prof. Arvind Sharma brought about the difference between the terms religion and dharma, emphasising on how much is lost

in the translation. He remarked that the ancient Indian word Dharma did not mean the exclusive idea of religion as seen by the western civilisation and therefore, the eastern concepts of Hinduism, Buddhism, etc should be referred as Dharma and not religion.

Day 2: January 12, 2018

Plenary Session – 2

The second plenary session was chaired by Prof. S.R. Bhatt, Chairman, Indian Council for Philosophical Research. The plenary speakers were Prof. Braj Sinha from University of Saskatchewan; Ven. Tseetsee Luvsandorj from Gandantegchling Monastery, Mongolia; Dr. Frank Ji-Ruey Guo, CEO, Bliss and Wisdom Foundation of Culture and Education, Taiwan and Dr. Madhu Khanna, Professor of Religious Studies and Director of Centre for the Study of Comparative Religion and Civilization, Jamia Millia Islamia University. Prof. Bhatt regraded the concept of dhamma to be the overriding feature of Indian cultural ethos. Describing Asia as Dharma-centric, he advocated the simultaneous need of material possibilities and spiritual enhancement for the holistic progress of the society. He remarked that the pitfall of democracy can be cured by ‘Dharm-o-cracy’.

Dr. Frank Guo spoke on the practice of Buddha Dharma in the society. He regarded health of body, purity of mind and bliss of spirit to be the principles embedded in dharma dhamma traditions which are of prime importance for the peaceful progress and development of any society. Dr. Madhu Khanna spoke on the importance of ‘Eco-Dharma’ mentioned as a concept of Bhumi Sukta in Atharvaveda as being simultaneously ancient and modern. She expressed her concern about the disappearing spirituality of the earth and the need of a paradigm shift from environmental concern to environmental consciousness. Prof. Braj Sinha expressed the importance of Dharma as a tool for looking at a state for the purpose of seeking wisdom. He emphasised on the materialization of Rajdharma as mentioned in the Shanti Parva of Mahabharat and not just the Dandaneeti category of Arthashastra tradition. Ven. Tseetsee Luvsandorj spoke about the ‘Engaged Dharma activity in the modern Mongolian society’. He highlighted the role of NGOs, social work and assistance to targeted group beneficiaries in materializing the dharmic principles.

Plenary Session – 3

The third plenary session was chaired by Mr. Shakti Sinha, Director, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. The plenary speakers were Ms Sattva Zhang, Secretary General, World Peace & Communication Association; Mr. Say Amnann, Deputy Director General of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Cults and Religion, Kingdom of Cambodia and Mr. Myo Win, Assistant Director, Department of Religious Affairs, Myanmar. Mr. Sinha spoke of the need of rulers to rule in tune with dharmic values and traditions. Ms. Sattva regarded the only way of rescuing the world from crisis is by awakening the mind and following the law of the universe and true human nature. She also highlighted the need to reignite harmony, one of the basic principles in moral doctrine.

Mr. Myo Win expressed the support of the Government of Myanmar to the conference for the noble purpose it seeks to achieve. He said that the dharmic principles of compassion, equanimity, sustainable development, human rights and human development are the values that need to be embraced in the life of individual and the society. Mr. Amnann said that ‘real dharma’ is when social order is upheld at all times, else the weak suffers. He spoke on the Cambodian Buddhism and the significant role it played in the independence movement and community development project. He also highlighted the use of Buddhist meditation technique by psychiatrists which reflects the positive role dharma-dhamma traditions can play on reforming the society.

Plenary Session – 4

The fourth plenary session was chaired by Swami Advayananda, Acharya-in-charge, Chinmaya International Foundation. The plenary speakers were Prof. Venkat Rao from EFLU; Prof. H.P. Gangnegi from Delhi University; Phramaha Boonna Pratumchat from Mahamakut Buddhist University, Thailand and Venerable Heui Kai, Deputy Abbot of Fo Guang Shan Monastery, Taiwan. Swami Advayananda regarded the philosophy of ‘also’ and not the philosophy of ‘only’ as the biggest contribution of the dharma-dhamma tradition. He dissected the word ‘dharma’ to mean root or ‘to support’ and regarded righteous living as the dharma of an individual and law as the dharma of a society.

Prof. Gangnegi spoke of the subtle differences between the Dharma concept of Mahayan Buddhism tradition and Dhamma concept of Thervada Buddhism tradition. He highlighted the need to bridge the gap between the two. He also brought to notice the virtues of Buddhist preaching to regulate society or social order through attendance, finding amicable solutions, honouring traditions, respecting elders, ensuring security and safety of women, etc. Phramaha Boonna Pratumchat explained the way of Dhamma to control the inner circle of mind. He also highlighted the need to meditate in order to improve consciousness, bring purity and ensure harmony in the society.

Venerable Heui Kai equated dharma as the sustainability of the world and sustainability of life. He regarded them as the two sides of the same coin, both being important for survival of the other. Prof. Venkat Rao spoke on the difference between Sva-Dharma and Par-Dharma and the relation between the two. He highlighted the disjuncture between the traditions governing the way of living and the traditions governing the way of education. He also remarked that the concept of power and knowledge have been systematically developed in European context and thus, drawing parallels in India is a futile activity. Instead, there is a need to rethink these concepts in the Indic sense of thought.

Day 3 : January 13, 2018

Plenary Session – 5

The fifth plenary session was chaired by Prof. SP Singh from University of Delhi; Julio Ozan Lavoisier, Philosopher and Writer from Argentina; Ven. Tulku Tsori Rinpoche, Founder and Spiritual Leader, Yogi Tsoru Dechen Rinpoche Foundation, Florida and Mr. Lhagvademchig J., Research Associate, Department of Anthropology and Archeology, Mongolia. Prof. Singh set the tone of the session by quoting C. Rajagopalachari words, ‘India is easiest to govern if appeased to traditions’. He remarked that state must be governed through traditional and civilisational beliefs and values. He said, “Dhamma, as a concept provides organic structure to the life of a society.” Venerable Tulku commented, “Devoting life for dharma is the Tibetan culture and backbone of their society.” He remarked that dharma dhamma values are the antidote to the cyclic nature of samsara. He also drew the convergence in the teachings of Buddha and Krishna to adopt the middle path.

Mr. Lhagvademchig J. spoke about the Chakravartin ideology in Mongolian politics. He commented on the ancient cultural ties between India and Mongolia being reflected in the adaptation of ‘Mongolised’ Sanskrit words. He highlighted the contribution of Indian Buddhist cosmology in framing the Mongolian national identity. He said. “Indian ideology of universal monarch-Chakravartin and incarnation of Buddhist deities had been part of the Mongolian political discourse on rulership, sovereignty, nation and identity.” Mr. Julio Ozan commented on the similarity in the Dharma and Dhamma traditions and said, “Nothing better would happen if these two universal forces could turn the wheel of life together.” He also appreciated the heroic task of inserting the Dharma-Dhamma values into the current reality of statecraft.

Valedictory Session

The valedictory session was graced with the presence of Shri Pema Khandu, Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh and Swami Atmapriyananda, Vice Chancellor of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University. Swami Atmapriyananda said that the concept of Dharm and Dhamma was based on the concept of fundamental unity; the traditions are in variety, but interwoven by unity. He said, “Dharma as a concept is untranslatable and interchanging it with ‘religion’ would be a wrong translation.” He also regarded the term ‘sustainability’ as the modern word for Dharma. He commented on the irony of human mind and said, “Good people are not convinced with the power of goodness, but wicked people are convinced with the power of wickedness.” Shri Pema Khandu regarded Dhamma to be the literal correspondence of Dharma, one that makes all activities meaningful. He recognized fewer evils and many good deeds as the two basic attributes of dharma. He remarked that Arunachal Pradesh is an example of a society practising Dhamma traditions with tolerance and social solidarity.

(This article is carried in the print edition of March April 2018 issue of India Foundation Journal.)