Tashkent, August 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at a memorial in Tashkent on Sunday before visiting the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, where he announced a new scholarship programme for Uzbek students pursuing Hindi studies.
The visit to the Shastri Memorial came during a significant year marking six decades since the former Indian Prime Minister’s death in Tashkent in 1966. Shastri continues to be remembered in the Uzbek capital, where a road bears his name.
A local school and an Indian cultural centre have also been named in his honour.After paying his respects at the memorial, Modi visited the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies and was welcomed by Uzbekistan’s Prime Minister and the university’s rector.
At the university’s Mahatma Gandhi Centre, the Prime Minister interacted with Indologists, scholars and academics involved in activities related to Indian studies. The institution has developed a long-standing reputation for teaching Hindi and other subjects connected with India.
During the visit, Modi announced the Lal Bahadur Shastri Scholarship for Uzbek students studying Hindi, a move aimed at encouraging greater academic and linguistic engagement with India.The announcement coincides with another important milestone, as the university completes 80 years of Hindi teaching this year. Interest in learning Hindi among Uzbek students has remained strong, reflecting the historical and cultural connections between India and Uzbekistan.
The two countries also share linguistic links, with Uzbek and Hindi having more than 3,000 words said to be similar.The Prime Minister’s engagements in Tashkent highlighted both the historical relationship between the two countries and the growing importance of educational and cultural exchanges. The scholarship initiative is expected to further strengthen people-to-people ties and promote greater interest in Indian languages and culture among young Uzbek students.
