India,Vietnam strengthen peacekeeping ties
The fifth edition of the bilateral military exercise VINBAX 2024, involving the armed forces of India and Vietnam, is underway at Ambala, Haryana.
Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi and The Ambassador of The Socialist Republic for Vietnam to India Pham Sanh Chau today informed the installation of President Ho Chi Minhs’s bust at The Kautilya Marg park, New Delhi.
This installation becomes the 2nd bust of the Vietnam President Ho Chi Minh to be installed in India. The first one is located in Kolkata.
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Lekhi paid tribute to Late Vietnam National Movement Campaigner and said, “I’m happy to be here to pay my respect to President Ho Chi Minh whose love for our country lay the foundation of Vietnam- India relations on politics, diplomacy, economics, defence security, education training, science & technology and people to people relations. Present political structure of both counties may be different, but we share a strong historical & cultural bond.”
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President Ho derived inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi. While he never met him, he in an interview (in 1955) had said that he honoured the great spiritual leader of Indian people, Mahatma Gandhi as his master in his struggle against imperialism in Asia. In India too he won many hearts with his affability, cordiality, humility and austerity.
Speaking on the occasion, Pham Sanh Chau said, “Uncle Ho wrote over 60 articles, research papers, poems, letters, telegraph messages & speeches about India and his experience with Indian leaders. His in-depth knowledge about India and its people and his close association with the then Indian PM Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru has helped cement Vietnam-India relationship.”
Ho Chi Minh visited India three times, first in 1911, then in 1946 as head of state with India as a stop on his way to France for peace dialogues, and finally in 1958 for 13 days.
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