Efforts were made to erase Indian ‘sanskriti’, but our culture remains eternal: Gajendra Shekhawat

New Delhi, Oct 16 (PTI) Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Wednesday extolled India’s ancient civilisations and said efforts were made in the past to “erase” its ‘sanskriti’ (culture) and Sanatan traditions, but “our culture remains eternal” in flow.

In his address at the opening ceremony of the six-day International Festival on Indian Dance, Shekhawat said India is the country of “Ganga and Gita” and rich culture and folk traditions.

Classical and folk dances are incredible, and together they make it a kaleidoscope of colours and lend multiple dimensions to it. Culture is such that it even lends colours to arid deserts, the minister said at the event hosted by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in Delhi.

This event is taking place at a time when the world is treading the path of “moral downfall” and geopolitical turbulence has “shaken” the whole world, which is the dark side, he said.

“But on the other hand, it is taking place at a time when India is standing at the threshold of limitless possibilities. At a time, when India’s culture, traditional values, art, science, yoga, Ayush and agricultural traditions, their acceptance in the world is growing in a new way,” Shekhawat asserted.

Without naming any rulers or dynasties which have ruled India over the centuries, the Union minister said, “We are one of the oldest civilisations, but many efforts were made to erase this Indian culture, these Sanatan traditions, many conspiracies were hatched at the point of a bayonet and they tried to obliterate it.

“To ruin our intellectual resources and capabilities, many invaded us, they even tried and conspired to pollute our education system, still our culture remained eternal in flow,” he added.

The culture minister lauded the “purveyors of Indian culture” and said, through the old traditions, art exponents kept the Indian culture perennial and relevant using the “soft power” despite the “cultural attacks on Bharat”.

The event was also attended by noted dancer Sonal Mansingh and several other artistes.

“When there is a geopolitical turbulence the world over, at that time to maintain the unbroken and all-encompassing ‘bhav’ of ‘ras’ and ‘anand’ (in India), we can take pride in it, and work towards making it more contextual,” he said.

“Today, when India is carving a place for itself on the world stage, as a Vishwa Bandhu, this cultural strength will give India a new indentity globally,” he added.

The minister in his address also underlined the essence of soft power in making of a superpower nation.

“I was reading a book by a Nobel Laureate and he speaks of four things that are essential for a country to become a superpower,” Shekhawat said.

While economic rise, technological prowess and military strength are key components, a superpower also possess “culture and soft power”, and India is “rapidly moving in that direction”.