Such a scene was seen at the Chief Minister’s residence on Friday, in which instead of the formality of diplomacy, there were smiles of children, instead of distance of languages, there was dialogue and a natural bridge of friendship was seen being formed between the cultures of two countries. In the special program ‘A Dialogue with the Future’ organized in connection with the Uttar Pradesh-Japan Investment Meeting, 13 students from Yamanashi Prefecture of Japan and their faculty members interacted with students from various schools of Lucknow.
This dialogue, which took place in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Yamanashi Prefecture Governor Kotaro Nagasaki, was bringing forward the picture of the future India-Japan relations, the foundation of which is being laid in the minds of today’s young generation.
The Chief Minister started his address with the Japanese greeting ‘Ohayo Gozaimasu’ by cordially welcoming the students and their faculty members from Yamanashi, Japan and the young colleagues from Lucknow. He said that Uttar Pradesh is the largest state of India with a population of more than 25 crores. This state is the main center of spiritual and cultural consciousness of India and can also be seen as the ‘Heartland of India’. He said that Ayodhya is situated in the same Awadh region where this dialogue is taking place. Ayodhya is the birthplace of Maryada Purushottam Lord Shri Ram. Japanese students saw Taj Mahal in Agra and the birthplace of Lord Shri Krishna in Mathura. Now he will get the opportunity to visit Varanasi and Sarnath. Lord Buddha gave his first sermon after attaining enlightenment in Sarnath. Varanasi is one of the oldest cities in the world. In this way, for these students from Japan, the trip to Uttar Pradesh is also an opportunity to know closely about the spirituality, culture and civilizational heritage of India.
The Chief Minister said that this is not just a meeting of students. It is a meeting of two cultures, two traditions and young generations of two countries. Next year, India and Japan are going to complete 75 years of diplomatic relations and at such a time, these students of both the countries have the potential to take this relationship to new heights as future ambassadors. He said that on one hand there are the children of Uttar Pradesh, which has the largest youth work force in India, and on the other hand, there are the children of Japan, known for technology, tradition and commitment. One child has come from a village in Lucknow and the other from a village in Japan. One speaks Hindi, the other Japanese but the biggest similarity between the two is that both are writing the story of their future.
The Chief Minister said that this is an opportunity for the students from Japan to understand India’s unity in diversity, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, Indian languages, philosophy, festivals and rich cultural heritage of Uttar Pradesh. He said that it will be a major achievement of this dialogue that the new generation of Japan knows India not only as a market but as a common civilizational friend. At the same time, there is an opportunity for Indian students to understand Japan’s work culture, life philosophy, discipline, ‘Ikigai’, teamwork, mutual respect, cleanliness, punctuality, traditional arts and festivals. He said that the biggest strength of the exchange program is that both the countries learn from each other and share their best.
During the dialogue, the Chief Minister underlined the beautiful similarity between Japan’s philosophy of social harmony and India’s ideology of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’. He said that Indian culture believes that the whole world is one family. ‘Ayam Nijah Paro Veti Ganana Laghuchetsam. Udarcharitaanam tu vasudhaiva kutumbakam. He said that this is ours and this is someone else’s, this is the thinking of narrow minded people, for people with generous character the whole world is a family. The same sentiment can also be seen in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolution of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’.
The Chief Minister said that Japan’s strength lies in self-discipline, precision, quality, teamwork and innovation, whereas India’s strength lies in youth power, talent, diversity, creativity and the spirit of taking everyone along. When the power of Japan and the power of India come together, it will not only benefit the children of both the countries, but will also open doors to new possibilities at the global level. He told the students that today they are students, but in the coming years they will emerge as scientists, technocrats, artists, sports champions, policy makers and global leaders. The Chief Minister asked the students to learn each other’s language and also try to understand each other’s feelings. Respect each other’s culture, values and vision of life.
Yamanashi Prefecture Governor Kotaro Nagasaki expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and said that he gave this opportunity to the students of both the countries to communicate. He also gave special thanks to the students of Lucknow, who warmly welcomed the Japanese children. The Governor said that to connect the two countries in a better way, it is important to first understand what are the similarities and differences between us. He mentioned India’s ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and Yamanashi’s thinking, in which there is a feeling of ensuring our own prosperity along with making each other’s people prosperous.
Governor Kotaro Nagasaki said that this meeting should not remain just a one-day event. He called upon the students to carry forward this friendship with their Japanese and Indian friends. He said that both the countries should prosper together and the young generation should further strengthen this relationship, this is the biggest expectation of this dialogue.
After the addresses of the Chief Minister and the Japanese Governor, the dialogue became even more intimate. Japanese students together presented a song in Japanese language. During his group presentation, the atmosphere of the Chief Minister’s residence echoed with applause. In response to this, Ishaan from India presented the song ‘Kaushalya Dasharatha Ke Nandan’ dedicated to Lord Shri Ram.
Lucknow student Akshara Pandey welcomed the Japanese students and said that it is great to see all of you coming here. He said that Japanese students liked the Taj Mahal, it is pleasant for them too.
Japanese students also shared their experiences openly. Kazama, a Japanese student, said, “Coming to India is a very special experience for me because it is the first time I have come out of my country. The friendly way people treated us after coming here touched my heart. Seeing so many motorcycles and vehicles on the roads of India was a completely new experience for me. Such an experience is rare in Tokyo.
This program held on Friday at the Chief Minister’s residence ultimately went beyond investment and economic partnership and became a celebration of human relationships. Here 13 Japanese students met the students of Uttar Pradesh, sang songs in their own language, gave the message of peace and friendship through origami and prepared to return with the experiences of India. At the same time, Indian students got to know Japanese culture closely and got a glimpse of their own culture. On one side were the children of Yamanashi, on the other side were the children of Lucknow. The languages were different, the cultures were different, but the dream of the future was the same. This was the biggest picture of ‘A Dialogue with the Future’, today’s friendship is the foundation of tomorrow’s strong India-Japan partnership.-