The world’s culture need not become one. If it becomes one, it will be a big blunder! The world should be diverse. Just imagine, if the world has only one type of vegetable, only carrots or only potatoes, you won’t even touch them! Nature loves diversity; it has manifested itself in diverse forms, which should be protected. The diversity in nature must be protected.
Culture is also one such gift of nature. Nature has provided us with multi-cultural things, whether it is food, music, language. Just imagine if all over the world, people spoke only one language, it would be so boring! If everybody looked alike, it would be so boring. We all look so different, from Mongolia to China to Japan to Australia, Argentina, Africa. And when the different cultures come together, to celebrate, it doesn’t have to become one. The World Culture Festival is all about celebrating the diversity, enhancing and honouring it.
All the wars in the world that were fought were to make the world follow one culture or religion; at least in the Middle East, that was the issue. However, if you go to the Far East, it is a very different story. Go to Japan or India, there are so many different sects peacefully co-existing.
The World Culture Festival is being held to send a message to the global leaders, global communities, that we are not just tolerating each other, but we are celebrating the diversity. I think tolerance has a very negative connotation; you don’t like something, you tolerate it. We only tolerate what is distasteful, which we don’t like. And tolerance is considered to be a very big thing! The World Culture Festival is not about tolerance at all! It is about honouring, celebrating, rejoicing different cultures of the world.
Moreover, if we appreciate another culture, it does not mean that you are losing your own culture. If you appreciate the Chinese culture, it does not mean that you are losing the Indian culture. If you appreciate the Indian culture, it does not mean that you are losing the European culture. You are not losing something; you are only adding more glory. There are many beautiful things in different parts of the world, to honour, appreciate and make your own.
