ICCR’s Foundation Day was celebrated on a grand scale by Embassy of India in Dushanbe at Swami Vivekananda Cultural Center (SVCC) on April 9, 2019.

About 190 guests out of which about 150 were the former students of ICCR had gathered to celebrate the Foundation Day.

The event was inaugurated by lighting the lamp by Shri Somnath Ghosh, Ambassador of India to Tajikistan and Mr. Nizomiddin Zohidi, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan.

Mr. Ilhom Kamolzoda, Head of International Relations Department of the Ministry of Education and Science of Tajikistan and other officials from foreign office of Government of Tajikistan were also present on the occasion.

Ambassador Shri Somnath Ghosh welcomed the gathering and gave a brief introduction of activities of ICCR at international level.

The First Deputy Minister, in his address, assured all support to the activities of ICCR by the Government of Tajikistan.

Ms. Noziya Karomatullo a well-known singer of Tajikistan and an alumnus of ICCR was handed over a letter of appreciation sent by Hon’ble External Affairs Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj, for her rendering of Vaishnava Janato song.  Ms. Noziya enthralled the audience with the same song.

A cultural program of one-hour duration was arranged where the alumni of ICCR, the present students of music and dance at SVCC and ICCR teachers performed.  Ms. Parvina Sharipova and Mr. Umed Sharipov, both alumni of ICCR presented songs.  Dr. Akanksha Shrivastava, ICCR Kathak teacher and Shri Yogesh Sharma, ICCR Tabla teacher gave solo performances.

At the end, a group of 15 Tajik girls of SVCC performed a group dance based on Sufi songs.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) was founded in 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, independent India’s first Education Minister.  Its objectives are to actively participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programs pertaining to India’s external cultural relations; to foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries; to promote cultural exchanges with other countries and people; and to develop relations with nations.