Tashkent, Aug 2026 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday shared glimpses of his interaction with students and Indologists at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, highlighting the strong and growing interest in India, its languages, literature and cultural traditions among young people in Uzbekistan.
Modi visited the university’s Mahatma Gandhi Centre on Sunday during his state visit to Uzbekistan, where he met students, faculty members and scholars associated with the institution. He also signed the visitors’ book during the visit.
The interaction provided an opportunity to highlight the longstanding educational and civilisational links between India and Uzbekistan. Modi emphasised the important role played by academic institutions in deepening people-to-people connections and encouraging greater understanding of each country’s cultural heritage.
A particularly memorable moment came when Uzbek students recited verses and poems written by Modi. The Prime Minister said the experience was deeply emotional, noting that the students were able to capture the feelings and meaning behind his Hindi poems despite the language not being their mother tongue.
“Today, I had the opportunity to hear the poems, written by me a long time ago, recited by these young people. Although Hindi is not their native language, the emotions they expressed during the recitation were exactly the same as they were in my heart when I was writing those poems,” Modi said in a video shared on X.
He added that such an understanding was possible only when someone immersed themselves deeply in a language and lived its cultural expressions.
Taking to X, Modi described his visit to the Mahatma Gandhi Centre as interesting for several reasons. He said he witnessed a “vibrant Indology ecosystem” and observed strong enthusiasm among Uzbek students for learning about India.
The Prime Minister also praised the work being undertaken at the centre on the life and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, while noting the growing interest in Tamil culture.
The interaction also shed light on the special place Indian culture occupies in Uzbekistan. An Indologist at the event said there were few countries where India was loved as much as it is in Uzbekistan and pointed out that the greeting “Namaste” is widely recognised.
She also highlighted interest in Indian art, literature and traditions, suggesting that people seeking a deeper understanding of India could turn to classics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Another important subject discussed during the interaction was Tamil literature. Modi drew attention to the ancient Tamil text Tirukkural and suggested that it could be translated into Uzbek.
He said an Uzbek translation of Tirukkural could open another window into India’s philosophical traditions and introduce more people in Uzbekistan to the intellectual heritage of one of the world’s oldest classical languages.
The suggestion received a positive response from the representatives present at the event, who assured the Prime Minister that efforts would be made in that direction.
The university interaction came against the backdrop of strengthening India-Uzbekistan relations. During his two-day state visit, Modi held wide-ranging discussions with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace.
The talks covered a broad range of areas, including trade and investment, critical minerals, defence and security, innovation and start-ups, digital public infrastructure and UPI, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, agriculture, education, tourism, space cooperation and people-to-people ties.
The cultural engagement at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies added an important dimension to the diplomatic discussions, underlining that India-Uzbekistan relations extend beyond government-to-government cooperation.
For Modi, the enthusiastic participation of Uzbek students and scholars demonstrated how cultural and educational exchanges can strengthen ties between nations. The students’ recitation of his poems, the discussion on Tamil literature and the focus on Mahatma Gandhi together highlighted the depth and diversity of India’s cultural connections with Uzbekistan.
