Culture is one way of engagement which can bring everyone together: MoS Meenakashi Lekhi

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], May 17 : Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakashi Lekhi called it a "pleasure and honour" to be present in Odisha for the second G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) meeting. She said that culture is one way of engagement that can bring everyone together.

Speaking to the media in Odisha, Meenakashi Lekhi said, "It's a pleasure and honour to be present in the state of Odisha for our second culture working group meeting for G20. Very, very proud of our heritage and I'm so happy that state of Odisha was chosen for the second working group meeting known to be Utkal, which is Uttam Kalakshetra. And that's what Odisha represents."

Lekhi said the first G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) meeting in Khajuraho. She said that culture is a separate working group, unlike the earlier times of the G20. He said that culture in the present time connects everyone. The 2nd Culture Working Group Meeting is being organised in Bhubaneswar from May 14-17. The meeting offers an opportunity to discuss pressing issues facing the culture sector to further deliberate in-depth work towards tangible, action-oriented recommendations, according to the press release.

"Before this second working group meeting, we had first meeting at Khajuraho and post that we have had four webinars and four web engagements through which a lot of work and effort has been put in," Meenakashi Lekhi said.

"And we are working now towards the third working group meeting so that the Indian perspective on culture session gets to be included and culture is a separate working group unlike the earlier times of G20, it's not just annex to the main working group, but it's a separate working group and G20 when talks about harmony, peace, I think culture is what one needs to look at because culture connects in a present day world where a lot of stresses and strains are showing up. Culture is one way of engagement which can bring everyone together," she added.

She said that the G20 delegates have been amazed at the craftsmanship and the culture of India. Lekhi called it a "knowledge-sharing experience" with them.

"It's a Knowledge sharing experience with them and they have been very amazed with the craftsmanship, with the culture of India and the Elephant Cave in first century BC mentions the word 'Bharatwarsh'. So those who do not understand that or those who say in was never one, I think they need to go back and read the Kharavela inscription of Hathigumpha (cave) because 'Bharatwarsh' was always there and is part of our Sanskriti, our culture. And that's what needs to be understood by those who are uninitiated in the subject," Meenakashi Lekhi said.

Meenakashi Lekhi said that they are present in the modern museum of Mahatma Gandhi and stressed that the eternity of Gandhi lies in the thought process of the eternity of India.

"Eternity of Gandhi lies in the thought process of eternity of India and the thoughts which have been picked up from various thought processes right adjacent is Udayagiri Caves and Udayagiri Caves themselves represent the time period before Kharavela, Kharavela and post kharavelas and all kind of detailing you will see from ancient humans who lived in those rock-cut shelters to transition when first Century BC, the rock was cut and used by Jain monks and others and subsequently used by several others," Lekhi said.

"You find Hindu deities, you find the engravings with the story of Ramayan and several other Jatak Kathas. So, this is India where we all stem from the same tree and we represent different branches and we know we have the lessons in coexistence," she added.

Lekhi thanked the Odisha government for organising the second G20 Culture Working Group meeting. She said, "I also must say that working here on the culture working group as a second meeting was a really pleasurable experience. I thank the government of people of Odisha, all the officers who were engaged in this working, including the Chief minister and Prime Minister Modiji has inspired us and also told us that this is the time and this is the right time because we are celebrating Azadi ka Amrit mahotsav, when India has completed 75 years of its independence."

She further said, "And from now onwards, for 25 years, india has to work really hard and take India position what it used to be and that pole position will come to us only by our right thinking and right resolve and right resolve to be followed by right action. I am very sure the youth of today, the people of today who are going to be the leaders of the coming 25 years, an independent India, when India is going to achieve its dignity, and respect what it deserves in 25 years will come through all the people who are going to work hard and achieve their goals."

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