NEW DELHI: Culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Friday expressed hope that Pakistan will participate in the first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum in Delhi from Nov 20 to 22, even as he trashed Pakistan's attempts to appropriate Indus Valley civilisation, pointing out that the neighbouring nation came into existence only around 80 years ago.Fifteen countries, including China, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, have confirmed their participation for the event, which India will host at the historic Purana Quila complex. Pakistan is yet to respond to the invite. PM Narendra Modi will attend the inaugural ceremony of the dialogue forum, where India will showcase its 5,000-year-old civilisational journey.Shekhawat highlighted that PM had proposed the establishment of a Civilisational Dialogue Forum at the 2025 SCO Summit in Tianjin, and it was subsequently, welcomed and endorsed, with India announcing to host the inaugural forum.The invitation to Pakistan gains significance as it happens to be the first New Delhi has extended after Operation Sindoor last year. Ministers of 25 countries were invited, of which 15 countries have confirmed participation so far, he added.When asked…
Pak 80 years old, can't appropriate Indus Valley civilisation: Culture minister
In short
India is hosting the first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum from November 20 to 22 at the historic Purana Qila complex, where excavations reveal settlements dating to 1200 BCE. While dismissing Pakistan's claims to the Indus Valley heritage, Shekhawat expressed hope that Islamabad would still attend the multilateral gathering alongside confirmed regional participants like China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. The three-day event will focus on shared artistic, architectural, linguistic, and monastic traditions across Eurasia.
Key points
- India is utilizing ancient archaeological sites to anchor its civilisational heritage and…: India is utilizing ancient archaeological sites to anchor its civilisational heritage and regional diplomatic leadership.
- Pakistan has yet to confirm its participation in the regional cultural forum despite rece…: Pakistan has yet to confirm its participation in the regional cultural forum despite receiving an official invitation from New Delhi.
- The summit will explore regional linkages across art, architecture, literary manuscripts,…: The summit will explore regional linkages across art, architecture, literary manuscripts, and ancient monastic trails.