LITHUANIA AND INDIA

                                               

The other day I was reading an interview of a Lithuanian Indologist in a daily newspaper and was surprised to know the cultural affinity of India with this little known European country, which was earlier a part of the erstwhile USSR. He is Prof. Habil Adius Benorius, Director, Depatt. Of Oriental Studies, Velnius University, Lithuania.He revealed that since the olden times, his country has been appreciating the Indian culture. However, this preference was suppressed during the Russian rule. After the independence of his country in 1990, the first country to secede from the clutches of Moscow, the pent up love for India was revived. He admitted to be an India fan with a lot of interest in Sanskrit since he was only sixteen. These days he is engaged in translating some Upanishdas in his mother language, Lithuanian.

Lithuania is located in Northern Europe, on the South-East of the Baltic Sea. Like other ancient societies, its history also goes back to the third millennium BC when the first lot of Indo-Europeans came to this land and mixed with several local Baltic tribes. Thus, today they racially call themselves Baltics. The first kingdom of Lithuania was established in 13^th century. In 14^th century, with Latvia, Poland, some parts of Russia and a few other neighbouring principalities, the Duchy of Lithuania was the largest country of Europe. In the modern times, to be precise 18^th and 19^th centuries, the region underwent repeated changes in its fortune due to aggressive neighbours like Russia and Germany. After the Second World War, the German occupation forces vacated and Russia captured. Lithuania, ultimately bid goodbye to the foreign yoke in 1990 and has been shaping its future independently.

Lithuania occupies an area of 65,200 km and according to the recent census, has a population of 30 lakhs only. It has formally joined the European Union, European Council and NATO. Its roads, transports, economy, public health etc only after 23 years of freedom can match any developed country. It is the fastest growing economy in Europe. Unfortunately, India has not opened it chancery yet there. It is the clarion call of the time that we facilitated environments for the growth of close bilateral relations.