Remarks by Ambassador Sibi George at the India Evening organized by Montreux International Business Club on August 27, 2018 at Montreux
Good Evening Everybody;
Thank you for inviting me to address this august gathering, in this most beautiful part of Switzerland.Good to visit this historic city, which the Father of the Nation of India, Mahatma Gandhi visited in 1931.
There was a time,several decades ago, like many others, I also thought that a ‘Diplomat’s life is all about alcohol and protocol. Like everybody else, I was wrong. Now I know that diplomacy is a 24x7 job, a very serious job. A diplomat representsthe Head of his State; the entire government both federal and state; every department, every industry, every business and every art; basically the entire nation and beyond.
In the host country, a diplomat is expected to engage with its political, economic and social leadership and artists, scientists, scholars etc. He needs to work tirelessly to promote the interests of his country in multiple areas. At the same time, he needs to gather and share reliable and relevant information,with his assessment, to his government. He needs to transmit itmuch before the media and the social media flashes it as breaking news. It is also important to differentiate between facts and fake stories.
I think this is the best job in the world.Notjust because of the access it gives you across the spectrum. You could request a meeting with anybody at any level in your country and in your host country, and in most cases you get that meeting. You also get invited to gatherings of great and successful people, like this onehere today.
A diplomat’s job also gives you the luxury to learn and enjoy the culture and life of many lands. In my twenty-five years I was lucky to have closely interacted with several regions and countries. This include Egypt, Qatar, Japan, Koreas, Pakistan, the United States, Iran, Saudi Arabia etc. And now, for me personally, it is a matter of great pleasure to represent my country in Switzerland, in The Holy See, and in the Principality of Lichtenstein.
As a diplomat, one is happy to be in Switzerland, one of the most beautiful of the countries in the world. It is also one of the most happening countries in the world. A country which ranks among the top globally in several metrics of national performance, including government transparency, quality of life, economic competitiveness, innovation index and human development.Here in Switzerland, every Canton, every city and every small township has something unique to offer.
As a diplomat, I feel so proud to represent India, which is one of the oldest, largest and continuous civilization in the world. It is world’s largest democracy and fastest growing large economy. You feel proud to represent a country which never invaded any country in her last 10,000 years of history. A country which is home to ‘Sanskrit’ which is the mother of all European languages and is the most suitable language for computer software. It is home to Ayurveda which is fast regaining its rightful place in the world including in Switzerland.
India was the richest country on earth until the time of British invasion in the 17th Century, a wealth which attracted manymaritime explorers like Vasco-de Gama and Christopher Columbus to launch their voyages.I am sure that you are aware that there is a reason why the original inhabitants of America is referred to as Red Indians.
You feel proud to represent a country where four world religions were born, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.A civilization which gifted the world withancient Vedas, Upanishads, Epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata and the Holi book of Bhagavat Gita. You feel so proud to represent a country where dance forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, Manipuri and Mohiniyattametc originated and remain active today.
India has world’s second largest Muslim population spread all over the country, second only to Indonesia. India has more Christian population than the total population of countries like Canada and Australia. In fact, Christianity reached India and flourished there since 52CE, much before it reached most parts of Europe. Many of the communities when they faced persecution abroad, chose to travel to India, such as the Parsees from Persia, today’s Iran. The Jewish population came to India in large numbers from Israel in the year 70 CE, after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Today, Parsees are one of the most vibrant communities in India while some of the oldest Jewish synagogues are still active in India. We are proud of our diversity.
I recall recent a conversation I had with a Management Student from one of the reputed universities in Switzerland. She asked me, Ambassador, to get a grip over India, its culture, its diversity, its values, its traditions, its cuisine, its music, its civilization, its costumes, how much time does one need to spent in India. My answer was simple, for one to get a grip of India one needs to spend a life time in India. If that is not possible, you could visit India for a few months, to get a taste of India. If that is also not possible join the activities of the Embassy of India. Join its music classes, Sanskrit classes, food festivals, and a series of cultural activities and start practicing yoga with us. I am happy to note that she is today an active member of Indian Cultural Network.
You feel honored to represent a country which has over 1/6th of the population of the world. That means every sixth person in the world is an Indian, with a 1.3 billion population. A country which has over 30 million Indian diaspora abroad. This diaspora has branched out all over the world today. Well assimilated, it is studded with Nobel Laureates, Booker Prize winners, Emmy Awardees, distinguished physicians, engineers, businessmen, IT experts and Artists and spiritual leaders. The diaspora wherever they are, have produced successful entrepreneurs, beloved educationists, astronauts, stars in every profession and good civic minded citizens. This diaspora is now nurturing a second and third generation including in Switzerland that will surely outshine its parents, at the same time cherishing the fine traditions of India.
I recall a visa application that we received in the Embassy recently. The purpose of visit was given as ‘to see people’. Initially we got wondered. What does that mean? To see people. If you live in Berne, you will understand what she means. Some days you hardly find anyone in the public areas. We spoke to her to know what she meant. She was craving to enjoy the diverse culture of India. Today she is part of our Indian cultural network attending Sanskrit and music classes and practicing yoga with us.
In short, think about a nation that prides itself in having nature’s bounty, the earliest civilizations, a rich and varied cultural heritage and a glorious past, that is India. It is a melting pot of the world’s finest cultures, philosophies, Sciences, Arts and Skills. We speak several hundred languages there, we practice different religions, we worship different gods, we believe in different political ideologies. But we flourish as a nation in its diversity.We have a constitution which provides for Justice: Social Economic and Political; Liberty of thought, Expression, Belief, Faith and Worship; and Equality of status and of Opportunity and the Dignity of the Individual. It has a vibrant democracy with a vibrant and independent judiciary. There are over two hundred Television channels competing for breaking news every hour.
Today India is witnessing a huge transformation as one of the largest economies in the world. It is endeavoring to modernize in the fullest sense of that term. This is expressed in a variety of programs, ranging from "Make in India”, "Digital India” and "Smart Cities” to "Skill India” and "Clean India”. It seeks resources, technology and best practices from its international partners. That is very much at the heart of our diplomatic engagement with the rest of the world. Many countries like Switzerland can contribute to and benefit from this transformation. We are confident that India,which is home to 1/6th of the world population, which has a coastline of 7,500 km and 1,200 islands, 2.4 million sq. kms.of Exclusive Economic Zone, which has a democratically electedstable government, is viewed as an opportunity by the world.
There has been a deeper engagement of India and Switzerland in recent years. Prime Minister Modi was in Switzerland in June 2016. Swiss President was in New Delhi on a State visit in August 2017 during which we issued a forward looking comprehensive Joint Statement which calls for a ‘long term dynamic partnership’. In January 2018, Prime Minister Modi was in Switzerland to deliver the opening key-note address at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. And early this month we had the Foreign Minister of Switzerland H.E. Dr. Ignazio Cassis visiting New Delhi and the historic city of Varanasi.
Our business engagement with Switzerland is growing rapidly. Our bilateral trade today is nearly USD 20 billion. The engagement between Indian and Swiss companies are deepening. Same is the case with other areas such as culture, movies, yoga, Ayurveda, tourism, cuisine and people to people exchanges.
It would not be an exaggeration for me to say that I see an India connection in every corner of Switzerland. I mentioned about the visit of our Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi to this city in 1931. We will celebrate his 150th birth anniversary this year, and will be back here.
Almost every museum in this country has some India connection. Today I visited the Swiss Games Museum in Montreux. It has a unique collection of games which originated in India. The Rietberg museum in Zurich has one of the best collections of India art. I was in Lugano a few weeks back, there at the museum has some of the rare collections of photographs of Mahatma Gandhi that Walter Bosshard, a Swiss, took in 1930s. At University of Lausanne there is a Tagore Chair named after the National Poet of India, Rabindranath Tagore. At present at the Swiss National Museum in Prangins, not far from here, there is an exhibition on ‘Chintz – A Fabric which revolutionalised the world’ with a unique collection of cotton fabric from India.
Every year several hundreds of thousands of Indians travel to Switzerland to appreciate the beautiful landscapes of Switzerland. Each year several thousands of Swiss nationals travel to India for tourism and business.Almost every city in Switzerland has an Indian restaurant and also group of citizens who believe in yoga and practice it every day. Indian film industry continues to look at Switzerland as a shooting destination.
This year is a special year for India – Swiss relations. This is the 70th anniversary of the signing of Friendship Treaty between India and Switzerland signed in 1948. We are set to celebrate a Festival of India in several cities in Switzerland - connecting Himalayas with Alps. We have a variety of artists from India set to perform during September to December 2018, to commemorate the 70th anniversary.
I invite you all to participate at the various events that we organise in Switzerland. Once again thank you for inviting me to this event.
Thank you.
