PM Modi to address inaugural Buddhist Summit on April 20

The 2-day summit is an effort to engage with global Buddhist Dhamma leadership

PM Modi will address the inaugural session of the two-day Global Buddhist Summit on Thursday, the ministry of culture said. The summit, which is hosted by the ministry in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation on April 20 and 21, is an effort to engage with global Buddhist Dhamma leadership, a release from the government said.

Culture minister G Kishen Reddy said that Buddhist monks from various countries will take part in the Summit, where discussions will be held on how to deal with contemporary challenges, with the help of Buddhist Philosophy and thought. “This global Summit will mark the significance and importance of India in Buddhism, as Buddhism was born in India,” he said.

The theme of the two-day Summit is ‘Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis’. Discussions will be held under four key themes, which include ‘Buddha Dhamma and Peace’, ‘Buddha Dhamma: Environmental Crisis, Health and Sustainability’, ‘Preservation of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition; Buddha Dhamma Pilgrimage’, and ‘Living heritage and Buddha Relics: a resilient foundation to India’s centuries-old cultural links to countries in South, South-East and East Asia’.

“The year 2023 marks a special phase in India showcasing different facets of its heritage, especially those associated with Buddhism. With India hosting the G-20 under its Presidentship and Chairing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in 2023, IBC’s intention is to ensure that the GBS is part of this endeavor when the global attention would be on India,” Dr Dhammapiya, Secretary General of the IBC said.