Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with students and scholars at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre in Tashkent during a state visit this week [1].
The interaction highlights India's efforts to strengthen cultural ties and promote Indian studies in Central Asia ahead of the SCO summit.
Modi visited the Mahatma Gandhi Centre located inside the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies [1, 2]. During the visit, he praised the students for their dedication to learning about India. He noted a "great passion towards studying about India, immense work on Gandhi Ji's life, and growing interest in Tamil culture," he said [2].
The Prime Minister also interacted with students who recited his poems, an experience he described as interesting for several reasons [2]. He said the emotions of the students were reflected in his own heart during the exchange [2].
As part of the visit, Modi paid floral tributes to a statue of Mahatma Gandhi [1]. While reports from WION place this tribute at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Park in Bishkek [1], other accounts state the tribute occurred at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre in Tashkent [2].
The visit occurred on Sunday during a broader diplomatic tour of the region in 2026 [1]. The Prime Minister used the platform to highlight the global relevance of Gandhi's life, and the expanding reach of Indian linguistic and cultural studies in Uzbekistan [2].
“"Great passion towards studying about India, immense work on Gandhi Ji's life, and growing interest in Tamil culture."”
This engagement serves as a soft-power initiative to deepen bilateral relations between India and Uzbekistan. By emphasizing the study of Tamil culture and the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, India is positioning its cultural heritage as a bridge for diplomatic and educational cooperation within the SCO framework.
