Ambassador’s speech on ICCR Foundation Day April 9, 2021 Ambassador’s speech on ICCR Foundation Day April 9, 2021

Ambassador’s speech on ICCR Foundation Day April 9, 2021

Namaste, Konnichiwa

It is a pleasure for me to extend warm greetings to all of you on the occasion of Foundation Day of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). ICCR Foundation Day is always a very special day for all those, who learn, educate, relish or appreciate the Indian culture.

2. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) was founded on 9th April 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, a noted freedom fighter and independent India’s first Education Minister. Its objectives are to actively participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes pertaining to India’s external cultural relations; to foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries; to promote cultural exchanges with other countries and people, and to develop relations with nations.

3. Every country, every community are strongly tied together by an intricate tapestry of individual values, norms and a specific history, so to understand their culture is to understand them. The beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people and cultural ties are the foundation of people to people relationship constructing an ecosystem of sustainable peace and harmony. ICCR has played a tremendous role in connecting people and disseminating Indian culture by organizing numerous cultural events throughout the world and exchanging the artists and scholars providing different scholarships and fellowships.

4. Many of you are ICCR alumni and cultural representatives of Indian culture in Japan and some of you are gathered here today to know about its functions. We are happy to share with you that, at our Vivekananda Cultural Centre, we conduct various courses to learn Yoga, Indian dances and percussion, and those who are not acquainted with the flavour of Indian culture so far, are invited to enjoy it in our forthcoming sessions by our wonderful teachers.

5. We are extremely delighted to share with you that ICCR is launching “Little Guru”, the world’s first Gamified Sanskrit learning app today. Please have a look at the app on the screen and you all are encouraged to install this app to learn Sanskrit in a playful manner. (Ambassador to turn towards the screen for the launching and screenshot of the app would be displayed on the screen)

There are many apps and websites available for learning Sanskrit, but the unique feature of “Little Guru” is that it uses gaming techniques, Artificial intelligence and an advanced user interface to ensure that learning Sanskrit is easy.

6. Today, in the Japanese presentation on the ICCR, you will know more about scholarships, exchange schemes, awards and other opportunities offered by ICCR to foreigners and I urge you to take the advantage of those.

Please enjoy the cultural programmes of our cultural centre and once again thanks for joining us on this occasion.

Thanks a lot.

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu.

Check against delivery