Kashmir microcosm of secular, pluralist traditions of India: PM

Srinagar, May 26 (UNI) The unique eclectism in Kashmiri tradition and the natural beauty of the area has not only made it a paradise on Earth but also a microcosm of the secular, pluralist traditions of India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here today.

Speaking at the launch of the Institute of Kashmir studies, Dr Singh said it gave him great pleasure to learn about the programme organised by the University of Kashmir in Srinagar.

He said the institute established in collaboration with the South Asia Foundation was designed to promote '' Kashmiriyat'' based on Kashmir's age old Bhakti-Sufi-Rishi tradition and culture.

The timely initiative to establish an institution to revive the age-old traditions of Kashmir would serve as a melting pot of ideas and learning for people not only from the state and other parts of the country but also from neighbouring countries of the Indian sub-continent, the Prime minister said.

He hoped the institute would contribute to strengthening the composite culture of the state.

''I convey my best wishes to all those associated with the Institute of Kashmir studies,'' he said.

UNI BAS QAB SYU ND1434