Warsaw [Poland], August 20 : Polish Indologist Krzysztof Iwanek on Tuesday said that one must know Indian languages to understand Indian politics.
He said that India's diversity teaches one to be humble in their search for knowledge.
"I feel that it is pertinent to know about Indian languages to understand Indian politics. Knowing only English is not enough," he said.
"In my opinion, India's diversity is a very main aspect of India. I have been studying Indology for 20 years. But, even now, I find something new. It is because of India's diversity and a number of languages that teaches us humility," he added.
Speaking about the visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Poland, Iwanek said, "There are two aspects of the visit- economic and political. On the political front, PM Modi wants to show a balance. That it has good relations with the West, as well as Russia. On the economic front, when PM Modi will meet delegates from Poland, they will discuss about economic policies."
The Indologist, further speaking about PM Modi's visit and Indology, said, "Although PM Modi's visit is not directly linked to Indology, India and Poland's rich historical ties will be a highlight of the visit."
He recalled the World War 2 incident where an Indian king gave shelter to over 1,000 Polish women and children. "I believe PM Modi will visit monuments that commemorate this incident," he said.
He said that India and the European Union have been discussing about various Free Trade Agreements.
"Nowadays, India and the European Union have been discussing about Free Trade Agreements and negotiations. So, I hope they will discuss about the policies towards which India and Poland, and the European Union as a whole will look at," Iwanek said.
Iwanek said that he has been interested in India and has been studying about the culture since 2001.
"I have been studying about the Indian culture since 2001. I was studying History and I thought I wanted to try something new. I studied Indology so that I could understand more about India. I did MA in Sanskrit, though I have forgotten a lot about it. I have always been interested in India. Now I follow Indian politics and its international relations," he said.
Indology is studied by very few people. But I believe that with time, the situation will improve.
Iwanek also recited the Gayatri Mantra, showing his love and respect towards Indian culture and tradition.
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