Governor presents paper on ‘Building Peace: The Bahudha Approach’ at ISEAS, Singapore

GANGTOK, 16 Jan: On special invitation from the Institute of South East Asian Studies (ISEAS), the Governor of Sikkim, Balmiki Prasad Singh, presented a paper titled ‘Building Peace: The Bahudha Approach’ before a handsome gathering on 10 January, 2012 at ISEAS, Singapore, informs a press release issued by the PRO to the Governor.

On his maiden visit to the Institute, Mr Singh was warmly received by the Director of ISEAS and the Ambassador of Singapore to Jordan, K Kesavapany and his staff. He introduced Mr Singh to the gathering and spoke briefly about his academic credentials.

The thesis of Mr Singh’s address was based on peaceful resolution of conflicts by means of the Bahudha approach, the release informs. Through this harmonious approach, Mr Singh presents an alternative view to Samuel P. Huntington’s theory of the Clash of Civilizations.

The Bahudha approach is both a celebration of diversity and an attitude of mind that respects another person’s point of view. It also promotes a feeling that the world would be a dull and over-uniform place if there was only one religion, one God, one language, one folklore and one folk tale.

The inculcation of attitude of mind inspired by the Bahudha approach would mean that one hears others in a manner that is akin to our behaviour with family members or with our neighbours. It helps us appreciate and even adopt good practices and value systems of others without diminishing our own.

The lecture was divided into two segments: paper reading and paper discussion of 45-minute duration each. The paper discussion was extremely well participated by the academicians, research scholars and students from the Institute and outside, the release mentions.

At the institute’s library the Governor garlanded the bust of Rabindra Nath Tagore. He gifted the Institute a Sikkimese thanka and a copy each of the books “Bahudha- in the post 9/11 World” and “India’s Culture”- authored by him- and also a copy of “Sikkim’s Raj Bhavan”, the release adds.

Governor visits Institute of Technical Education in Singapore

GANGTOK, 16 Jan: The Governor of Sikkim visited the Institute of Technical Education (West) College of the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), Singapore at Choa Chu Kang Grove on 11 January. He was warmly received by Principal of the College, Dr. Yak Tiew Ming and the staff.
A press release from the PRO to the Governor informs that the Governor was accompanied by First Secretary (Commerce), Amitesh Bharat Singh and Attache (PIC) of the High Commission of India, Debashish Choudhuri and Joint Secretary to the Governor, Thakur Thapa.
The Governor was given a presentation by the Principal, Dr. Yak Tiew Ming. The ITE  works under the ‘One System, Three Colleges, Governance and Education Model’ introduced by the Singapore Government in 2005 under which the ITE-HQ oversees the broad system, policy issues and ensures standards while the ‘three colleges’ are empowered to develop niche areas of excellence to enhance attractiveness of ITE education.
The ITE owes its success primarily to its unique ‘Hands on, Minds on and Hearts on’ education philosophy where students integrate theory and practice through course work, industry exposure, projects and experimental learning, the objective being to prepare and expose students of different abilities, talents and interests to the realities and challenges of the global market.
Later in the afternoon, the Governor visited Singapore’s Asian Civilization Museum at Empress Place, the release informs. He was received by Senior Curator and Head of the Museum’s South Asian Collection, Dr. Gauri Krishnan and Curator, Cross Culture, Clement Onn.
He was briefed about the museum, its collections and about the influences India has had in shaping the cultures of Southeast Asia through the centuries.
The Curator, Mr Onn also guided the Governor on a tour of the museum, where the highlight of the museum was the ongoing exhibition-‘Patterns of Trade-Indian Textiles for Export, 1400-1900’- where Indian textiles of different colors, patterns and materials produced and exported from India were displayed. Some of the exhibits were more than 600 years old, the release further mentions.

At the end of the tour the Governor thanked the Museum’s staff and presented the museum with a Sikkimese thanka, a copy each of the books “Bahudha- and the post 9/11 World”, “India’s Culture” and “Sikkim’s Raj Bhawan”. In return he was presented several books documenting the museums collections and Singapore’s ancestral cultures, the release adds.