EAM’s remarks at the SAMHiTA Conference

Ambassador Shyam Saran,

Mr. Shrivastava,

Distinguished scholars, Mathematicians, Dear friends, Fellow members of IIC,

Namaskar and a very good evening to you all!

Let me begin by saying what a great pleasure it is to join you all at this Conference of South Asia's Manuscript Traditions and Mathematical Contributions. Let me applaud the India International Centre for undertaking this initiative and appreciate the contribution of the Centre for Traditional Indian Knowledge Systems and Skills, IIT Bombay. And I want to say that the Ministry of External Affairs and ICCR – Nandini, I speak on your behalf – we are really proud to be a supporter of this project and would certainly like to continue that commitment.

2. Now, manuscripts and mathematics aside, and I must say I wish I had been taught mathematics poetically – it would have certainly made me a better student, but manuscripts and mathematics aside, what is this really about? And the answer I believe is that in many ways this is about discovering -or more accurately, re-discovering - ourselves. For many societies, how to preserve, nurture and carry forward traditional knowledge system over history, over time has been a challenge, and we are no exception to it. Infact, for centuries, I would say for a thousand years, our society has been in some ways assaulted from beyond our borders, and theintellectual cost, leave alone the human one, has actually been enormous. Perhaps, there is no more graphic an example than the burning of the Nalanda University. The scars of this are still visible in a range of domains. But much worse was actually to follow.

3. The global ascendancy of Europe, for parts of the world which were not Europe, they were its dark ages. Because as they say, they came, they saw, and they pillaged. And worst of all, they sought to erase our heritage and traditions. The legitimacy of British occupation for example was posited on the very denial of an Indian identity. And therefore we had the famous remark of Winston Churchill on India being no more a geographical term than the Equator. For two centuries, the achievements and accomplishments of Indian culture were run down as retrograde, if not worse. The myth was perpetuated that India was actually a 'Made in Britain' invention. And that was in a way what the National Movement really fought against. And they fought against it by demonstrating a deep and inherent unity and reviving our skills, our crafts, our products, and our intellectual traditions, and gave us actually the self-confidence to defeat colonialism eventually prevailed. The achievement of independence, however, was a milestone and not a destination. The revival of India as a civilizational state has taken much more than that, and in some ways, I would say its still a work in progress.

4. Now, in the period that followed, our debates in some ways positioned modernity as antithetical to tradition. And the result was that, we neither valued our past as much as we should have, nor did we make sufficient efforts to rediscover it after centuries of suppression. To a considerable degree, I think this attitude was reinforced by a belief that external models and ideologies held the key to our progress. And We went through that period as well, with all the handicaps that were inherent. And as a result, we actually set self-imposed limits on our own curiosity and our interest.

5. Thereafter, the era of globalization actually reinforced this thinking. By suggesting that the world was flat and a village to boot, the ground was prepared for universal norms and common standards. And all of you of course know who were to be judges of those norms and standards. But of course, the real world was fundamentally different, because it was essentially pluralistic, it was essentially diverse, but mind you it was bound together in many regions by faith, by culture, history, traditions and practices. Now today, we are past the high tide of globalization and we seek to actually define it within a certain border, within a certain framework. And that evolution makes it easier to encourage studying specificities. In India's case, this is an exercise that holds immense possibilities.

6. Understanding traditions and appreciating historical contributions is not just a theoretical exercise. It is very much part of building an identity, especially of a civilizational nature. There are many other pathways to that objective, some are very routine, I would say almost mundane, others are much more complex. So when we support a Vishwakarma tradition, when we promote One District One Product in this country, when we espouse yoga, when we popularize Ayurveda or when we advocate consumption of 'Shree Anna', each one of them is a facet of that endeavour. Your gathering, I want to tell you, is a cutting edge of something very much more profound. After all, drops of water make an ocean and every effort that helps forge a deeper sense of ourselves must be lauded.

7. Friends, the world is passing through an extraordinary period of change. Its architecture is being re-engineered, even as institutions and modes of interaction undergo transformation. The political complexities are difficult enough, but its economic volatility has exceeded expectations. The cultural dimensions are still unfolding and will not be easy either. They have to capture the rebalancing of the last many decades even as they reflect the backlash against globalization. The best response to this era is to intensify nation building, reinforce national identities and without compromise, pursue national interests. Beyond the obvious, what is at stake are the dignity and self-image of a people, their freedom to exercise choices and their ability to withstand pressures.

8. So, while recognizing the importance of engaging the world – and I would say even intensifying that process of engagement – there is today a really compelling argument for greater ‘Atmanirbharta’. It is natural to define that in material terms. But, at the end of the day, this is built on the foundation of national self-confidence. This is not just for a Government or for its policy makers to ensure. Every citizen, every segment of society, every walk of life can and do make a difference. Intellectual leadership is particularly critical to that endeavour. Who we were, and what we are, will decide who we will become. It is in that spirit that I join you all. Let me again extend my best wishes for this particular conference and for the continued success of the Samhita initiative.

Thank you very much.

New Delhi
September 04, 2025