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Ansari: emulate our accommodative pluralism

Astana (Kazakhstan): Vice-President Hamid Ansari kicked off his visit to Kazakhstan with an address to the Kazakh Senate (Upper House) on Monday morning.

In his brief address in the impressively built Senate chamber, the Vice-President commended to Kazakh legislators India’s “accommodative pluralism” as one way of dealing with the new demands being made on the concept and practices of multiculturalism the world over.

After pointing out that both India and Kazakhstan had to devise constitutional and administrative mechanisms to suit “multiethnic, multireligious societies” within the framework of “secular state structures,” Mr. Ansari drew the legislators’ attention to the Indian capacity “to give space to fellow citizens and our ability to draw the circle wide enough to be inclusive.”

Earlier, Mr. Ansari held talks with his constitutional counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Chairman of the Senate. Later he had discussions separately with Prime Minister Karim K. Massimov and Chairman of the Mazhilis (Lower House) Aslan Mussin.

He is likely to have substantive discussions with the real ruler, President Nursultan Nazarbayev on Tuesday.

In his interaction with the various sections of the Kazakh leadership, the Vice-President offered to share India’s expertise and experience in information technology and higher education.

The Kazakh side expressed an interest, according to a senior Indian official, in expanding cooperation energy, especially hydrocarbon, and food production. It reiterated the traditional Kazakh stand of supporting India’s claim to a Security Council seat.

Mr. Ansari and the Senate Chairman attended a cultural show staged by Kazakh and Indian artistes. The evening was rounded off with a dinner and concert hosted by Chairman Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

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