Since time immemorial, India has been a fertile ground for different cultural groups to
communicate and mingle with each other, it has welcomed all with open arms. And
therefore every other culture that has embraced this civilization has shaped what we
perceive as India, with time. Vedantic thoughts such as "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam"
(which means that the same cosmic spirit pervades all human beings) (Hatcher, 1994)
as well as "Sarwe bhawantu Sukhinah, sarwe santu niramayah, sarwe bhadrani
pashyantu, ma kashchit dukh bhagavaveta", (meaning "Mayall be happy; may all be
healthy; may all enjoy prosperity; may none suffer") (Tripathi, 2016) are the
foundation of what constitutes the Indian sensibility. Such humanistic thoughts and
values which are so intrinsic to Indian culture also get realized in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights 1948 & its two International Covenants of 1966, which
declare that all persons are equal in dignity and rights (Khanam, 2013).
India has followed a tradition of treating the guest as equivalent to God, and the
testimony to this are scriptures like Taittiriya Upanishad in which it's inscribed
"Atithi Devo Bhava" - meaning the strangers are God within the dwelling (Joshi,
1991). India therefore, has welcomed all. India has had a robust relationship in terms
of trade with other countries, different people from various cultures have been
captivated by the rich and varied prospects of India. Rather than creating any sorts of
differences on the basis of religion, India has had an assimilative nature by its very
being, and has therefore has made space for dialogue and assimilation with different
cultures.
