Prez urges Asiatic Society to dev partnerships with other inst

Kolkata, Aug 23 (UNI) President Pratibha Devisingh Patil today urged the Asiatic Society to develop partnerships with other academic and research institutions in the country and abroad to enrich work about Indian cultural thought.

Addressing the bicentennial silver jubilee programme of the Asiatic Society here, the President said Indology, covering a range of issues about India, was being given wide importance in academic, commercial and political institutions in many parts of the world as a part of the desire to engage with India.

'' The Asiatic Society has a role to play in this endeavour.

Making the partnerships and with the richness of its library and collection of its arts, it can become an important institution for the dissemination of information,'' Mrs Patil observed.

She said interest about India was increasing as the country occupied an important place on the cultural map of the world.

'' We are one of the oldest and continuous civilisations of the world. This has been possible because of our inherent strength and resilience as well as our ability to incorporate change and cope with new ideas without losing our basic character and values,'' the President maintained.

She reminded that under the Constitution, it was the duty of each and every citizen of India to value and preserve the rich heritage of the country's composite culture.

''I call upon all people of the country to participate in the learning, understanding and conservation of our diverse and rich culture,'' she said.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and State School Education Minister Partha De were among other distinguished personalities who graced the occasion.

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