Indo-Vietnam Solidarity Committee, Kolkata, West Bengal celebrated the 79th National Day of S. R. Vietnam at its office. It happened via a symposium on the Relevance of Bamboo Diplomacy through people-to-people Relations for peace and development.

Following his floral homage to President Ho Chi Minh’s image, Mr. Mohammad Salim, State Secretary of West Bengal C.P.I.(M), spoke extensively about Vietnam’s adaptable diplomacy since President Ho Chi Minh’s administration. He noted that even during the Liberation War when talks were ongoing alongside hostilities, Vietnam’s diplomatic strategy had been adaptable and gentle. According to him, the main focus of Vietnamese diplomacy was bamboo diplomacy, or more specifically, flexible diplomacy through people-to-people interactions. In contrast, Panchsheel was the focal point of Indian diplomacy.

According to Dr. Tillotama Mukherjee, Head of the Department of Political Science at Shyamaprasad College, Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong suggested the idea of Bamboo Diplomacy during the 2016 Vietnam Diplomatic Conference. From 2011 to 2024, when he passed away, Dr. Trong held the position of Communist Party Chief of Vietnam with the longest tenure following the country’s unification. Bamboo Diplomacy originated from the observation that bamboo has flexible branches that represent adaptation and resilience in addition to its strong base system. It is a practical strategy for building positive ties with the United States, China, Japan, and India, among other nations.

Prem Kapoor, Vice President of IVSC, had earlier moderated the program and provided a brief introduction to the topic of discussion.

Members, intellectuals, journalists, and activists graced the symposium.

In the morning, Committee members of IVSC gathered in front of President Ho Chi Minh Bust at the crossing of Jawaharlal Nehru and Ho Chi Minh Sarani to offer a floral Tribute to President Ho Chi Minh.

Priyanka Dutta