Shinzo salutes Swami: pays tributes to Indian culture

New Delhi, Aug 22 (UNI) Swami Vivekanand, the iconic figure of Indian spiritualism, found repeated mentions in Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's address to a joint sitting of Parliament today as the visiting dignitary peppered his speech with rich tributes to India's dynamic cultural traditions.

Mr Abe, the influential leader of Asia's economic powerhouse who is in India leading a 200-member business delegation, began his nearly 25-minute speech by quoting Swami Vivekanand: ''The different streams, having their sources in different places, all mingle their water in the sea.'' The reference was made in the context of a growing congruence of interests -- both economic and strategic -- between India and Japan.

Swami Vivekanand was not the only figure that found a prominent place in his speech. Mr Abe chose the occasion to salute some other phenomenal leaders from different walks of life as also to have a peep into India's history.

He talked about Mughal Prince Dara Shikoh, son of Emperor Shahjehan, Ashoka the Great, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's 'Discovery of India', Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and, to top it all, Mahatma Gandhi.

He also revealed how Japanese marvelled at Indian classical dance forms, especially Bharatnatyam and Kathak, ''in which the contrasts of the static and the dynamic are lively and brilliant''.

But it was Dara Shikoh's book 'Confluence of the Two Seas', written in 1655, which formed the theme of his speech.

''The Pacific and the Indian Oceans are now bringing about a dynamic coupling of seas of freedom and prosperity...Our two countries have the ability - and the responsibility - to ensure that it broadens yet further and to nurure and enrich these seas to becomes seas of clearest transparence,'' said the visiting Premier, who looked dapper in his trendy suit.

But it was Swami Vivekanand, who apparently had an inspiring and mesmerising influence on the Japanese Prime Minister, who felt tempted to quote from the Swami's famous Chicago Address in 1893.

''Help and not fight'', ''assimilation and not destruction'', ''harmony and peace and not dissension,'' were the mantras of Swami Vivekanand, he said.

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