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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline AUGUST 23, 2024 | The Indian Eye 28

Cheering Indian civilization’s contribution to the world

To celebrate India’s 78th Independence Day, ALotusInTheMud.com solicited comments
from a dozen distinguished people in the US and India to assess India’s contribution to the world

and its role, which has taken center stage in recent years.

PARVEEN CHOPRA
New York
oaring in the opinion polls, Vice
President Kamala Harris may
Sget elected as the first South
Asian President of America. And if
the Trump-Vance ticket triumphs,
Usha Vance will become the first Hin-
du Second Lady.
Indian diaspora has dazzled the
world by reaching the top echelons
-- and not just in politics. India has
become a global power player, earn- Parveen Chopra is the founder and editor of
ing the sobriquet, ‘Vishwabandhu’
(friend of the world), particularly after ALotusInTheMud.com
supplying vaccines during the Covid
pandemic to many nations. duism, said that India has an antidote
Indians themselves would not for the younger generation suffering
be surprised by this welcome shift, from an overload of information.
however. Independent India may be “Counterbalance this by going within
only 77 years old, but it has at its back through silence and meditation, re-
many millennia of civilizational wis- flection and study of the self, through
dom rooted in the ancient texts of the worship and reverence for nature,
Vedas and Upanishads, and the phil- through yoga and chanting.”
osophical traditions of Buddhism and Nidhi Bhasin, CEO of the NASS-
Jainism. This was elaborated by the COM (National Association of Soft-
eminent people in India and Ameri- The participants in the feature ware and Service Companies) Foun-
ca invited to comment by New York- dation, offered her take: “We can
based ALotusInTheMud.com for a Swati Arun, Director of Social ance, acceptance, ahimsa, and harmo- take guidance and inspiration from
major feature published on the eve of Media for the Hindu American Foun- nious living propagated through an ancient Indian scriptures and philos-
India’s 78th Independence Day. dation in Washington, DC, pointed unbroken chain of avatars and gurus ophy, which teaches balance between
Another running strain in their out that India’s contributions are not such as Krishna, the Buddha, Maha- science (for advancement of human
comments is that India has antidotes just historical footnotes but living el- vir, Nanak, and Swami Vivekananda.” race), spirituality (for growth of the
to many of the world’s ills. Its peren- ements of today’s modern life. “The Neha Lohia, a conscious film- soul), good governance (for overall
nial moral principles of ahimsa and zero, an Indian invention, is the cor- maker based in NYC, added in a prosperity of nation and equality in
vasudhaiva kutumbakam (the world is nerstone of the digital age. Yoga and heartfelt comment: “India is more justice) and might (for protecting cit-
one family), underscoring the impor- Ayurveda, India’s holistic health sys- than a country; it is a feeling, a fra- izens from external attacks by an ethi-
tance of compassion, tolerance, and tems, have revolutionized wellness.” grance that I carry in my heart wher- cal military).”
unity in diversity, are a beacon for ad- Calling India a model for plural- ever I go. Through my work, I strive Saket Bhatia, who has a PhD in
dressing global challenges, promoting ism in the world, Srinivas Reddy, an au- to share the gifts of this land with the Electrical Engineering as well as as-
interfaith harmony and world peace, thor and scholar on a Fulbright-Nehru world, offering a glimpse into a way of trology-numerology and has found-
and fostering a sustainable and inclu- Fellowship at IIT Gandhinagar, said, life that has the potential to elevate ed two companies in the Bay Area,
sive future. “The world faces unprecedented global consciousness.” opined that Indians excel globally due
It will not be an exaggeration to challenges related to war, famine, lin- Preity Upala, who is on the Ad- to their strong emphasis on educa-
say that India is embracing its destined guistic diversity, and cultural plurality. visory Board of the Europe India tion, family values, and adaptability.”
role and emerging as ‘Vishwaguru’, Much of the Western approach to di- Chamber of Commerce and Industry, It is not just Sundar Pichai and Satya
not just ‘Vishwabandhu’. versity has been through assimilation. and has appeared on CNN and Forbes Nadella, he argued, “thousands of
Rajiv Mehrotra, Secretary and The Indian approach has always been as a political and cultural expert, said, other Indian technologists and entre-
Trustee of the Foundation for Univer- -- live and let live.” “In the current state of affairs global- preneurs are pioneering trends in ar-
sal Responsibility of H.H. The Dalai Anil Bhatnagar, an IITian, author ly, with polywars, unending conflicts, tificial intelligence, IT, education and
Lama in New Delhi, told Lotus, “In- and corporate trainer, cited the ex- and a very divided world, Bharat has healthcare. Indians have made signif-
dia’s rich civilizational heritage is a di- ample of Bharat in Ramayan to say demonstrated much-needed pragma- icant contributions globally in medi-
verse blend of cultural, philosophical, that “Instead of coveting what belongs tism, diplomacy, holistic leadership, cine, academia, arts, and humanities.”
religious, and scientific contributions. to others or converting others to our and global empathy.” In concrete terms, India has
This heritage continues to evolve and faith, India’s story is that of the re- Aditi Banerjee, an attorney at a emerged as a force for good, enhanc-
adapt while inspiring and responding lentless and ongoing message of love, Fortune 500 financial services compa- ing cultural enrichment and global ad-
to present-day challenges.” kindness, peace, compassion, toler- ny, who writes and speaks about Hin- vancement.

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