Hanoi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Sunday during the unveiling of a bust of Nobel Laureate writer and poet Rabindranath Tagore in Bac Ninh city that India and Vietnam have strong historical ties that date back almost 2,000 years and are rooted in Buddhism.
Jaishankar expressed his appreciation to the provincial authorities of Bac Ninh, located east of Hanoi, for their support of the installation of Tagore's bust.
“India and Vietnam have profound historical connections dating back almost 2000 years, which are rooted in the legacy of Buddhism. Bac Ninh province is also a part of this ancient tradition. Historical records validate Indian monks played a significant role in introducing Buddhism to Vietnam,” he said.
“Today marks the addition of a remarkable memorial honouring an exceptional Indian personality Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, himself a renowned painter, educator, humanist, music composer and a very profound thinker,” he said at the inaugural ceremony.
Jaishankar said he felt happy to know that Tagore’s works are widely recognised, read and appreciated throughout Vietnam and have been included in Vietnamese textbooks.
“It’s indeed heartening to know that Tagore’s Gitanjali was translated into Vietnamese and published in 2001. Historical records indicate that Tagore paid a three-day visit to Ho Chi Minh City in 1929, leaving a lasting intellectual and socio-cultural impact on Vietnam,” the minister said.
Gitanjali, a collection of poetry, is Tagore’s most famous work and was published in India in 1910. Tagore won the Nobel Prize for Literature for its English translation, Song Offerings, making him the first non-European to receive this honour in 1913.
Jaishankar said he was pleased to know that Vietnam issued a commemorative postage stamp in honour of Tagore in 1982.
“We are honoured by the respect and admiration shown towards him in Vietnam…I believe unveiling Gurudev Tagore’s bust today will enhance the international character of Bac Ninh city,” he said.
Jaishankar arrived in Vietnam on Sunday. From Vietnam, he will travel to Singapore for a visit from October 19 to 20.
With PTI inputs