As a country partner of The Luxury Symposium 2019, Uzbekistan seems to be a natural choice. India and Uzbekistan, after all, have for long enjoyed historical and cultural links, dating back to ancient times when the famous Silk Route would connect the two great nations and their people.
Hardly two-and-a-half hours apart on a flight, India and Uzbekistan shared—and continues to share—history and culture. And even values. Farhod Arziev, the ambassador for Uzbekistan, said in an interview sometime back, “We, in Uzbekistan, honour the code of hospitality just like India does. It’s just that people don’t know much about it…. People in Uzbekistan like Indian films and music. Raj Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan and Hema Malini are all famous names there.”
He himself recalled enjoying movies of Raj Kapoor, Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Chakraborty growing up. Ali Baba Chaalis Chor was his personal favourite. “When Disco Dancer released in Tashkent, there were long queues outside theatres. India is a very unique country and we find more in common here than different,” Arzeiv said.
The former External Affairs Minister, the late Sushma Swaraj, too fondly remembered the relations between the two nations built on the foundation of centuries-old historical and cultural heritage, though India and Uzbekistan had established diplomatic ties just two-and-a-half decades ago. Swaraj had said, “The love for our language Hindi and classical dances like Kathak and Bharatnatyam in Russia, Uzbekistan, and other neighbouring countries is very much visible.”
Emphasising on the popularity of Bollywood’s greatest showman, Raj Kapoor, in the region, Swaraj noted, “In Russia and Uzbekistan, even if the people knew or did not know the names of government leaders, they always knew Raj Kapoor, which is a household name in both countries.” She further recalled how “someone approached me and pointed out to my saree and bindi and said ‘India, India’. I said yes! Then that person continued, ‘Raj Kapoor’s land’ and quoted a line, ‘Main Awara Hoon’. Never ever I have seen this level of popularity of any actor in any country.”
Historically, too, India and Uzbekistan have deep links, with flourishing trade links via Silk Route, Buddhist connections and also Mughal emperor Babur hailing from there. As Ritu Beri, the Cultural and Tourism Ambassador of Uzbekistan in India, herself said, “The prolific culture, intriguing history, innumerable sites of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva have always created awe… Samarkand was awe-inspiring, a reminder of an incredible past, and it rightfully deserves to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. There are formidable architectural delights like Registan, Shah-i-Zinda, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, to name a few, which are the world’s most spectacular examples of Islamic art and architecture.”
It is this cultural and historical unity that brings India and Uzbekistan together for the Luxury Symposium. After all, the opportunities and the challenges for the two nations are the same. For Beri, the idea behind the Symposium was the uneasy realisation that “despite its array of timeless arts and craft, India does not find any mention in the global world of luxury and design”. Uzbekistan too faces similar challenges. The platform aims to get the two nations their place in the field of luxury.