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| Participants of "Yoga and Natural Healthcare for Covid Pandemic (From Prevention to Long-term Rehabilitation)" conference, co-hosted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and Wonkwang Digital University, pose for a photo at an auditorium of Wonkwang Digital University in Seoul, Saturday. Courtesy of Indian Cultural Centre Seoul |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Kumar Tuhin, director general of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), emphasized the role of culture, such as yoga and Buddhism, in bridging India and Korea.
"Diplomacy is the art of intervening or persuading other governments through dialogue and through other means short of war. When we do that, we bring the entire country's comprehensive national power, which includes culture, economics and many other aspects of the country," Tuhin told The Korea Times, Saturday.
"So culture comes into play here, because art and craft, cuisine and movies can bring our country closer to the other country and we are able to persuade the other government, bringing them to see our point of view.
"Even when other (diplomatic) channels are not working, the cultural channel is always there between countries. And culture is a very strong way in which people of two countries can stay in touch through goodwill and help influence the government."
Tuhin is a veteran diplomat who served as India's ambassador to Hungary from 2018 to 2021 and high commissioner to Namibia from 2015 to 2018. In December 2021, he was appointed as Director General of the ICCR, which is fully supported by India's Ministry of External Affairs in recognition of the significance of cultural diplomacy.
Yoga is one of the most well-known cultural assets that originated in India, now practiced around the world. Tuhin said yoga suits people seeking a holistic sense of wellbeing.
"You do not need anything to perform yoga, except for a small mat. You don't need to become a member of a gym or spend hundreds of dollars. Yoga is not just an exercise but a complete concept including meditation and discipline of life. There also is a sense of compassion and love towards other people and wellness. I think this is why yoga is now so popular all over the world," he said.
He visited Korea last weekend to attend "Yoga and Natural Healthcare for Covid Pandemic (From Prevention to Long-term Rehabilitation)," a conference co-hosted by the ICCR and Wonkwang Digital University, Saturday and Sunday.
"It was on how we can use yoga for prevention and also for rehabilitation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic," he added.
"There were speakers from India who brought in the Indian perspective of how we can use yoga to address some of those deeper psychological, physical and emotional issues coming in the way of COVID-19 and Korean speakers also provided very interesting Korean perspectives on traditional Korean medicine."
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| Kumar Tuhin, Director General of Indian Council for Cultural Relations / Courtesy of ICCR |
The ICCR has been promoting yoga through international conferences. The first one was held in New York in 2018 and was then followed by a London conference in 2019. After a pause due to the pandemic, the ICCR picked Seoul as the third destination. He appreciated the partnership with Wonkwang Digital University, where a large number of students learn yoga and meditation.
"When I was looking for a venue for our conference this year, Korea was a very obvious choice. Because of the immense popularity of yoga (in Korea) and the extensive academic and research work that is happening here," Tuhin said.
Yoga is already recognized for its health benefits and has become popular around the world. In 2014, the United Nations designated the International Day of Yoga, which is celebrated on June 21 every year. So the ICCR focuses on promoting the true spirit of yoga rather than the commercial aspects of the practice.
"Even before 2014, when you go to any proper city or town, you will find yoga studios and people teaching yoga. But one thing we noted was that it was also driven by the sense of money and commercialization," he said.
"So the government of India is bringing yoga to its natural and normal state, which is the traditional way of doing yoga to derive the true benefits."
Other cultural areas covered by the ICCR include performing arts, scholarships and awards for distinguished people in promoting India's culture.
"We have a very wide range of activities and our activities are only growing every day. If you had met me, say, five or 10 years ago, I would have told you that we normally engage in the traditional forms of cultural exchange, which will be the exchange of troupes of dance and music. But now, the meaning of culture had expanded and movies, drama and cuisine are a critical component of the soft power of India," he said.
Korea and India celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year and Tuhin said the ICCR wants to do much more in Korea.
"A large number of activities are being planned for next year and I met with the president of the Korea Foundation (during my visit) to discuss some of the activities," he said.
"We also want to strengthen our cooperation in the area of Buddhism. Already India had gifted some Buddha statues and there are Korean students who have come to India for studies in this field. We want to extend this even further and have more partnerships with the city governments and other Buddhist temples and academic institutions."
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