Talking about the India-China relationship since ancient times, she said that there is a mention of Chinese silk dress in Arthashastra which depicts how Indian history finds resonance of relationship with China.
Union Human Resource Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday inaugurated the 24th edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair with China as guest of honour country as both nations seek to deepen their ties through cooperation in publishing. The nine-day fair, touted as the largest in Asia is hosting about 30 countries and a series of programmes including panel discussions, dramas, classical and folk dances, workshops, discussions, authors' meets, conferences, seminars and cultural programmes have been lined up.
Talking about the India-China relationship since ancient times, she said that there is a mention of Chinese silk dress in Arthashastra which depicts how Indian history finds resonance of relationship with China. She hoped that both the countries will not only exchange culture and knowledge but also strengthen ties. "I believe that 50 publishing houses and 9 eminent authors bring with them to this World Book Fair around 5,000 titles so that through this exchange our people across both nations can be enriched," she said.
Referring to the windy day, the minister said she was elated that the two countries are seeing a "wind of change" in their bilateral cultural exchanges. China was invited to be guest country after the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping here last year where he signed an memorandum of understanding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "During the visit of President Xi Jinping an MoU was signed with China's role in WBF and I am happy to note that promise that we made through paper has fructified in person," Irani said.
Referring to the growth of publishing business the minister said, "Today we celebrate the exponential growth of the publishing business both in India and China." Eminent author S L Bhyrappa who was present at the inaugural function said, "The Vedas are the first record of culture not only of India but also the world." Elucidating the role that the epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata have played in enriching the culture of India, Bhyrappa said, "The poets, writers, artists and scholars have been inspired heavily from the scriptures. Indian dance forms like Kathakali, Bharatnatyam, Odissi rely on these scriptures for theme. They have become the criteria of dance and music." Emphasising on the importance of publishing exchanges between China and India, Sun Shoushan, Vice Minister the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of China (SAPPRFT) said, "As one of the key international book fairs the NDWBF has set up an important platform for cultural exchanges of Indian classic and contemporary works which is now going on smoothly." "The important publishing exchanges between China and India have played an important role in cementing the friendship between people and promoting cultural exchanges between the two countries," he said.
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