To have better links between India and Southeast Asia through cherished Buddhist heritage of the Northeast, a-three-day international seminar on ‘India’s North Eastern Region and Buddhist Heritage – Bridge between South Asia and South East Asia’ was recently organised at Agartala in Tripura.
Northeast Today reports:
Organised by the New Delhi based International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), in collaboration with the Asian Confluence, Shillong and the Dhamma Dipa Foundation, Tripura, some 200 participants from 12 nations including ministers, parliamentarians, heads of spiritual organisations, scholars, writers, policy-makers, diplomats, entrepreneurs and members of the civil society from various countries participated in the seminar.
Buddhism University in – Tripura: The seminar agreed that for the overall development of the Northeastern region of India, a sound educational infrastructure is required for imparting holistic education based on timeless values such as those taught by Lord Buddha. To support the preservation of spiritual and cultural traditions, including linguistic traditions of Buddhist communities in the remote regions of India’s Northeast. The seminar agreed that a Buddhist University be set up in Northeast India, preferably in Tripura.
According to Sabyasachi Dutta, director of Asian Confluence and one of the organizing partners, the seminar may apparently seem to be just a religious confluence but there has been much inner and effective impact of such discussion since the best way to engage with our immediate neighours one of the trade is tourism and Buddhist tourism.
“We have been talking about Look East Policy for so many years but nothing much has happened. The reason for that is because the people have not bought into that vision. People do not understand what it is all about, beyond business community the common people must buy into this vision of a unified future, a common future for all concert. Religious and spiritual tradition such as Buddhism play a major link to bond hearts, create trust, create value system which can support governmental initiative and create a platform stable basis for peace, security and therefore business,” said Dutta.
Dutta viewed that there are many regional connectivity projects underway by the government of India and which must be bolstered with people-to-people contacts beyond just business linkages and only then business will become stronger and government’s effort can sustain.
Other than discussions and debates on issue of peace, connectivity, people-to-people relation, sustainable development, climate change and mitigation and what role Buddhism can play is addressing them, reviving the role of heritage and cultural linkages for sub-regional cooperation amongst India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos and Nepal issues like India’s Act East Policy was also in the agenda.
Issues such as “Growth and Sustainable Development: Relevance of Buddha’s Teachings and Philosophy”, Buddhist Heritage and traditions: A shared history”, Cultural tourism and pilgrimage: scope and challenges” and “Forging a sub-regional space of prosperity: Highlighting geographical contiguity” were given importance and the formulated an unanimous doctrine “Agartala Declaration” which emphasizes that greater engagement and economic prosperity can be achieved through cultural and philosophical unity based on Buddha’s teachings.
The declaration also acknowledges the historical role of India’s Northeast as the land bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia, through which philosophies and traditions travelled.
Buddhist heritage and traditions; A shared history: “The Northeastern region of India, along with her immediate neighbours, namely Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and the peripheral areas of East and Southeast Asia, collectively forms one of the most intricately woven yet diverse regions of the globe. Buddhism is one of the common threads that bind the whole region, which indeed is also its cradle and epicenter and a composite too, the region is strategically placed,” said Seshadari Chari, adviser to IBC.
Cultural tourism and pilgrimage; Scope and challenges: The Buddhist community worldwide can promote cultural tourism and Buddhist pilgrimage, and spearhead a movement for creation of “Buddha Volunteers” or “Volun-tourists” for creating responsible destinations in the Northeastern region of India. Creation of an annual Buddhist Festival, grand South Asian circuits, sustainable tourism and Buddhist consciousness journey can be promoted.
Forging a sub-regional space of Prosperity: Sub-regional initiatives such as SAARC, BBIN, BIMSTEC and ASEAN that connect South Asian and South East Asian nation states, may consider being influenced by the principles of Buddhism. As these formations strive for physical connectivity and economic prosperity amongst the respective nation states, one of the most relevant contributions from Buddhism is the teachings of no-self. While market economy focuses on self as the operating entity, Buddhist teachings posit that there is no real-self that is independent of other conditions.
Environment and Climate Change: The seminar resolved to support the Buddhist initiative to steer the global discourse on climate change, environment and conservation towards a responsible and sustainable model based on the Buddhist principles and values of interdependence and respect for nature, as stated in the IBC-led Buddhist declaration and statement to World leaders endorsed by the most eminent Buddhist masters and leading Buddhist organisations, submitted at the COP 21 in Paris.
Source : Northeast Today
