How Modi-Abe bonhomie is giving a boost to India-Japan ties
The relationship between India and Japan had certainly witnessed a few jolts in the past - at the time of the Cold War when India manifested a visible tilt towards the erstwhile Soviet Union, and again during the May 1998 Pokhran II nuclear bomb test.
The beginning of the 21st century, however, marked a new beginning with regard to the "global partnership" between the two nations, and since then their relationship has improved by leaps and bounds.
An Indian migrant once remarked, "I moved to Japan in 2003, and around that time people often associated India with curry and hot weather. Now, ten years later, things have changed. Now they also speak about the boom in the Indian economy, and associate Indians with IT and astute mathematical skills. Earlier the expression used when addressing Indians was, 'Oh you are from India,' but now it has been transformed into 'Wow! You are from India'!"
The Indian immigrants too strive to integrate into and embrace their second home - Japan.
Numerous Indian community groups organise events on a variety of occasions, mainly Indian festivals, creating a "little India" in Japan. These groups have also initiated active involvement in multiple volunteer works.
Manoj Dewan, currently an Indian restaurateur in Tokyo, declared: "In India most of us contribute in some way or other towards assisting the poor and the needy. In Japan due to the language barrier, the majority of the people are unaware as to how they should go about doing it."
Dewan actively volunteered his services after the massive Tohoku earthquake of March 2011.
With the backing of the MSG Japan Corporation, which operates ISKCON Tokyo's restaurant Govinda's, and with help from other Indians residing in Tokyo, he visited the tsunami-hit areas with vans laden with Indian food, which was later distributed among the tsunami victims. He mentioned that they had already made around 35 visits to the tsunami-hit areas, for the purpose of food distribution.
In Japan, "volunteering" demands organised effort. It is not merely a question of offering one's services to the other, since an individual wishing to volunteer needs to pursue appropriate channels.
In most such cases the Indian immigrants seek the collaboration of one or more of their Japanese counterparts, who assist them in issues such as registration, and clarify other specifics and constraints.
Ordinarily, a Japanese would handle the complex technicalities and procedures, leaving the Indians free to concentrate on volunteer work.
Another group that commenced in 2014 is the "Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Japan".
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| Other Indians too have manifested an interest in volunteer activities. |
Rohan Agarwal, an active member of the group declared, "We have volunteered our services for many cultural and philanthropic activities under the banner of the HSS Japan.
Our group is open to people of all nationalities and religious persuasions.
Our two most significant principles are expressed by the Sanskrit terms - Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning the entire world comprises one family, and Sewa Parmo Dharma, service is our supreme duty."
Their activities include among others the conducting of yoga classes, both in local Japanese schools and for members of the Indian community.
On January 23 this year, with the endorsement of a Japanese association they organised the 119th birth anniversary celebrations of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and also carried out a "Clothes Recycling Campaign" with the assistance of a local NPO, namely the Japan Relief Clothing Centre.
Other Indians too have manifested an interest in volunteer activities.
Around March this year, a group linked to an association known as "Muzhumathi" visited the town of Oishida in the Yamagata Prefecture, for "yukikaki" or snow clearing.
Oishida is located in the Kitamurayama district of Yamagata in the Tohoku region, a small town with an estimated population of 7,338, the majority being farmers approaching old age.
The city being located in the mountains experiences severe cold in winter.
Heavy snowfall covers the surrounding Japanese-style houses with vast quantities of snow, the removal of which is often a gruelling task.
Due to the advanced age of the inhabitants, the government initiated a voluntary "yukikaki" activity to assist them, but aside from Japanese organisations, no foreign group had as yet visited the place with this particular intent in mind.
This endeavour of the Indian community proved to be not only the first of its kind for themselves, but also for the inhabitants of Oishida.
The Japanese in Tokyo tend to view Yamagata as a secluded land, with some even jokingly referring to it as another country within Japan.
Japanese, as we know, has innumerable dialects, several of which differ widely from each other.
The dialect of Yamagata too diverges greatly from that used in Tokyo, and it has often proved challenging for Tokyo residents as well.
Yet, this in no way deterred the Indians, in their determination to pursue volunteer activities.
The Modi-Abe friendship and the hype it has aroused have provided a boost to Indian residents in Japan.
At the local level too it has served to unite the two communities together, though the real efforts towards the successful outcome of such ventures lie within the Indian community.
These Indians in Japan have not yet erased from their minds their nation's myriad influences, as conveyed by its multitudinous cultures and values.
Indeed, they still persist in believing that "to help others is to help ourselves".
(Courtesy of Mail Today.)