INDIA, May 27, 2020 (Stand Point India, by Sudarshan Ramabadran): The Cham civilization in Vietnam is back in focus, thanks to the latest find of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as part of the conservation project in My Son in Vietnam. India’s foreign minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar tweeted about a 1,100-year-old monolithic sandstone Shivalinga of 9th CE, as per ASI’s project, which has been found. This only reiterates the authentic evidence of how Indian culture has been accepted in the context of Southeast Asian countries. My Son was the first place to be visited by India’s President Ram Nath Kovind during his visit to Vietnam in 2018. The significance of My Son to India-Vietnam’s shared civilizational culture is there for everyone to see. Cham, in its time, was one of the most refined and scientifically advanced civilizations. The populace of the civilization has continued to keep traditions alive in its own unique way and India’s connection with it is ancient and relevant.
Culture, commerce and connectivity are the three pillars of India’s ties with the Southeast Asian region. These pillars have emerged in contemporary times due to the comprehensive history that India has shared with the region that has facilitated cordial relations in the past. As archaeological conservation and related efforts take center stage in India’s public diplomacy and soft power outreach especially in Southeast Asia, it becomes imperative to quantify these efforts. Documenting the strengths, opportunities, and challenges of these initiatives is indeed necessary. Apart from quantifying, India has also to explore options in which it can effectively enable people to people exchanges in ensuring that the historicity of the Cham civilization is contemporized for the benefit of all. A simple step could be to enable leading spiritual organizations in the country to engage with the populace in partnership with credible think tanks that are in touch with the community.
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