Patna: Nalanda University (NU) on Wednesday launched the inaugural edition of “Vishwarang Nalanda 2026”, a two-day programme aimed at strengthening cultural, linguistic and knowledge linkages between North-East India and South-East Asia while reviving Nalanda’s historic role as a bridge between India and the wider Asian region.The event, themed “North-East India and South-East Asia: Dialogue through Language, Literature, Culture and the Arts”, has brought together academics, cultural practitioners, artists and policymakers to explore centuries-old civilisational connections and identify new opportunities for regional engagement.Addressing the inaugural session, NU vice-chancellor Sachin Chaturvedi said the initiative reflected the university’s long-standing tradition of fostering intellectual exchange across countries and civilisations. He stressed that regional connectivity could not be driven by physical infrastructure alone and required stronger people-to-people, academic and cultural ties.Chaturvedi said Nalanda’s Centre for South-East Asian Studies was working to deepen university, scientific, cultural and historical linkages across the region. He added that the university was also collaborating with Bhashini to develop technology-enabled real-time translation systems to overcome language barriers and facilitate communication.Rajesh Ranjan, deputy director general of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), highlighted the North-East’s role as India’s cultural gateway to South-East Asia. He pointed to historical interactions among languages such as Bodo, Assamese, Manipuri, Khasi and Naga languages with Sanskrit, Pali, Burmese and Thai, underscoring the region’s deep-rooted cultural connections.Katikithala Srinivas, secretary, ministry of development of north eastern region, described the North-East as a critical “hinge” linking India with South-East Asia. He said language served as a repository of culture, memory and values and called for the digital preservation of India’s diverse knowledge traditions. He also linked cultural partnerships with the broader objectives of India’s Act East approach.Santosh Choubey, director of Vishwarang, and keynote speaker Mukul Kanitkar emphasised linguistic diversity, cultural plurality and the principle of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” as central to India’s engagement with Asia.The programme includes discussions on language, translation, cultural and economic linkages between North-East India and South-East Asia, and the future of Nalanda’s knowledge tradition. An exhibition on Rabindranath Tagore and a Rabindra Sangeet evening are also part of the event, alongside multilingual poetry and musical performances scheduled for Thursday.—
