External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday as he unveiled a bust of Nobel Laureate writer-poet Rabindranath Tagore in Bac Ninh City that India and Vietnam have deep historical ties that date back nearly 2,000 years and are anchored in Buddhism.
Jaishankar thanked the leaders of Bac Ninh province, which is located east of Hanoi, for their cooperation in erecting Tagore’s bust.
At the inaugural ceremony, S Jaishankar stated, “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”.
“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”, Jaishankar continued.
Jaishankar expressed his delight that Tagore’s works are widely recognized, read, and appreciated throughout Vietnam and that they have been incorporated into 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 added.
Tagore’s most famous work, Gitanjali, a collection of poetry, was released in India in 1910. Tagore received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for its English translation, Song Offerings, becoming him the first non-European to do so.
Jaishankar expressed his delight that Vietnam produced a commemorative postage stamp in honor of Tagore in 1982.
He went on to say, “We are honored 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”.
On Sunday, Jaishankar arrived in Vietnam. He will go from Vietnam to Singapore for a two-day visit on October 19 and 20.
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