India''s cultural diversity must be celebrated thru'' enhanced

exchanges: Vice Prez Chennai, Feb 26 (PTI): Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu

on Wednesday called for celebration of India's cultural diversity through enhanced exchanges between people in the

country. Participating in a function here, he said mutual

understanding and trust have always been the foundation of India's strength.

"For this to happen, we must open our doors and our hearts to people of all faiths, cultures and regions", Naidu

said after presenting the Hamsadhwani Thyagaraja Award to violin maestro M Chandrasekharan.

Citizens should feel culturally integrated in all corners of India, he added.

"We need this sense of understanding especially now, when a large number of rifts threaten to divide us and

fragment the bonds of socio-cultural cohesion," he said. "Our cultural diversity is a delight and must always

be celebrated through enhanced exchanges and reciprocity between people of different States and Union territories," he

added. Noting that India is famous for its 'splendid' culture

in which different religions, races, communities, sail in one ship, he said, "our culture and values are our identity and it

is what makes unique." Naidu said India's cultural diversity must always

remain the vehicle of unity, peace, prosperity and joy. The Vice-President said even though people in the

country speak different languages, eat different food and wear different clothes, one must acknowledge that fundamentally it

is 'one nation, one people'. Schools must sensitise children to different cultures

through frequent exchanges of cultural programmes, he said. Naidu also called for use of technology in

facilitation of cultural exchanges and in preserving unique aspects of India's culture.

He invoked Tamil poet Pungundranar famous line "Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kelir" which means "we belong to all

places and to everyone", and said this sense of belonging would permeate India's consciousness and move forward in its

quest for prosperity, peace, harmony and welfare of the world. It may be recalled the Prime Minister Narendra Modi

had referred to these lines while addressing the 74th session of United Nations General Assembly in New York in September

2019.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)