India needs to work hard to regain its position: Union minister

Bhubaneswar, May 17 (PTI) India has to work really hard to regain the position it once used to be in, Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi said on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters as the 2nd Culture Working Group meeting of the G20 concluded in Bhubaneswar, she said culture can be a way to connect people at a time when there is a lot of stress and strain.

When G-20 talks of harmony and peace, culture is something that is needed to be looked at, said Lekhi, who is also the MoS for Culture.

Expressing happiness that the meeting was held in ‘Utkal’, she said it transliterates to ‘Utkarsh Kala Ki Bhumi’, meaning the land of glorious art and culture.

Echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s desire to take India to greater heights over the next 25 years, Lekhi said the country has to work really hard to regain the position it once used to be in.

On the last day of the meet, the minister along with the delegates visited the ancient caves at Khandagiri and Udaygiri, and the Gandhi Peace Centre in Bhubaneswar.

She said the delegates were amazed at the super craftsmanship and the culture of Odisha.

Lekhi had on Tuesday visited the Sun Temple at Konark in Puri district along with the delegates.

The meeting in Bhubaneshwar began on May 15. It was spread over six sessions, focussing on four key areas — Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property, Harnessing Living Heritage for a Sustainable Future, Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries and Creative Economy, and Leveraging Digital Technologies for the Protection and Promotion of Culture.