Patna: President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday said India's Act East Policy was not merely as "a diplomatic initiative" but should be seen in the context of the pan-Asian journey of Buddhism as "an integration of the dreams and hopes of hundreds of millions who live in India and in Southeast Asia" and other parts of the continent.
"Our past has a common source; inevitably, our destiny too is linked. Our economic and diplomatic endeavours must draw from the same well-spring," Kovind said.
He was speaking at the inaugural session of the "4th International Dharma-Dhamma Conference on State and Social Order in Dharma-Dhamma Traditions" at Rajgir in Nalanda district, around 105km southeast of Patna. The three-day conference has been organised by Nalanda University in partnership with Vietnam Buddhist University, the India Foundation, and the ministry of external affairs.
Kovind pointed out that for eastern and north-eastern Indian states such as Bihar the spiritual, cultural and trade links created by the monks of Dharma-Dhamma thousands of years ago are much more than a historical memory.
"They are wired into society's DNA," the President said. "They are a living reality that makes Southeast Asia a natural and irreplaceable partner in the quest for development and prosperity, for peace and pluralism, at home and across our majestic continent.... Dharma and Dhamma are both a continuous, eternal journey and a destination."
The President asserted that long before the term became popular, Buddhism was the basis of an early form of globalisation and of internconnectedness in Asia.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar, in his speech, said: "Nalanda University should be developed into a conflict resolution centre to ensure that no conflicts remain in the world. We have arranged for land for this purpose. Presidents of various nations can visit. A state guest house will be constructed here."
He recounted the historical significance of Rajgir and the numerous historical places located there, and suggested that Rajgir should be made a Unesco World Heritage site.
