Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, during his visit to Uzbekistan, appreciated the deep interest shown by Uzbek scholars in Indian languages and culture. Interacting with Indologists, teachers, and students at the Lal Bahadur Shastri School in Tashkent, Birla highlighted the scholars’ contributions in strengthening the historic ties between India and Uzbekistan through their literary, academic, and research work in Indian languages such as Hindi and Sanskrit.
According to an official statement, Birla said that over 600 students at the school are learning Hindi and have developed a strong appreciation for Indian linguistic and cultural heritage. He also mentioned that Uzbek scholars have expressed their knowledge of Indian languages in their literary works and many Indologists have received prestigious awards for their contributions, including recognition from India and other nations.
Referring to collaborative educational efforts, Birla highlighted the creation of an Uzbek-Hindi dictionary by teachers in Uzbekistan, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He underlined the potential for deeper mutual engagement between India and Uzbekistan in areas such as the environment, language, culture, and education. Recalling Prime Minister Modi’s earlier visit to Uzbekistan, Birla noted the widespread popularity of Indian films and music in the country and referenced Uzbek Radio’s 50 years of Hindi-language broadcasting in 2012.
The Speaker emphasized that both India and Uzbekistan, despite having different historical trajectories, are now on paths of development and progress. He also recalled that India was among the first countries to recognize Uzbekistan’s independence and expressed hope that both nations would continue to work together to promote global values such as peace, stability, and human development.
Birla said that India and Uzbekistan have developed strong bilateral cooperation across various sectors, including politics, trade, investment, defense, security, counter-terrorism, science and technology, nuclear energy, space, and information technology. He added that the cultural and educational ties between the two nations further reinforce their relationship.
During his visit to Uzbekistan as the head of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation for the 150th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, Birla also held bilateral talks with Nurdinjon Ismoilov, Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
In the official statement, Birla highlighted the transparency and effectiveness of India’s electoral management system, noting that the successful conduct of a large-scale electoral process reflects the system’s efficiency. He further said that India’s democratic development since independence has been driven by the active participation of its citizens.
