CAPTION: Indian Cultural Centre Director Dr KK Mishra hands over the book to Parvin Lata at The Jet Newspaper office. Photo: MARGARET NAQIRI.
By JOSEPHINE NAVULA
The Indian Cultural Centre has launched a new 452 page book titled: India- Fiji: Expereicnes to remember.
The book is edited by Dr Kamal Kishor Mishra, the Director of Indian Cultural Centre and well known academic Professor Satendra Nandan.
“It was an honor and I am glad to have edited the book with Professor Satendra Nandan,” Dr Mishra said.
Dr Mishra said this year also marks India’s 65th anniversary of Independence and there are 65 articles by the authors in the book, both from Fiji and India, celebrating a unique relationship in the Pacific.
“Many articles explore the experiences of scholars, writers and visitors from Fiji to India and their first impressions of the Indian experience. A few articles have been written by authors who have visited Fiji from India and worked here in different capacities,” Dr Mishra said.
President for Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Dr Karan Singh said the volume covers the experiences of individuals from 1960s to the present scholars who are studying in various universities in India on ICCR scholarships.
“This volume is part of the long-lived friendship between India and Fiji in words and thoughts. I had the occasion to visit Fiji almost half a century ago in 1970 when I was Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, and Air India used to fly to Fiji once a week. It is a most enchanting island nation with spectacular scenery and a fascinating bifocal culture. I was hoping to visit again but so far have not been able to do so,” Dr Karan Singh.
“The book will be distributed widely to all the ministries, embassies, high commissions of India. A second printing of the volume is also being contemplated,” said Dr Kamal Kishor Mishra.
The publication of the book is generously sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
The volume includes pieces by several well-known personalities like Late Sir Moti Tikaram, Dr Neil Sharma,Vijendra Kumar, Ishwar Chauhan, Professor Biman Prasad, Justice Nazhat Shameem, Professor Subramani, Joginder Singh Kanwal, Bernadette Ganilau, Kavita Nandan, Luke Ratuvuki, among others.