'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', the G20 maxim in 2023, and its links to ancient Indian

India on 1 December 2022 assumed the presidency of the G20 from Indonesia – an honour it will hold until 30 November 2023.

New Delhi in September is set to play host to the largest-ever G20 summit with the heads of 43 delegations in attendance. It has chosen ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (World Is One Family) as the theme of its presidency – which also happens to be the G20 maxim.

Let’s take a closer look at what it means:

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In November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ahead of a trip to Bali, said India’s G20 presidency would be grounded in the ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’  theme.

The theme affirms the value of all life – human, animal, plant, and microorganisms – and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe.

The theme also spotlights LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), with its associated, environmentally sustainable and responsible choices, both at the level of individual lifestyles as well as national development, leading to globally transformative actions resulting in a cleaner, greener and bluer future.

The G20 says its logo is inspired by the colours of India’s national flag – saffron, white and green, and blue.

It juxtaposes planet Earth with the lotus, India’s national flower that reflects growth amid challenges. The Earth reflects India’s pro-planet approach to life, one in perfect harmony with nature.  Below the G20 logo is “Bharat”, written in the Devanagari script.

“The logo and the theme together convey a powerful message of India’s G20 Presidency, which is of striving for just and equitable growth for all in the world, as we navigate through these turbulent times, in a sustainable, holistic, responsible, and inclusive manner. They represent a uniquely Indian approach to our G20 Presidency, of living in harmony with the surrounding ecosystem,” the G20 website states.

For India, the G20 Presidency also marks the beginning of “Amritkaal”, the 25-year period beginning from the 75th anniversary of its Independence on 15 August 2022, leading up to the centenary of its independence, towards a futuristic, prosperous, inclusive and developed society, distinguished by a human-centric approach at its core.

“It can be considered as a universal maxim whose purpose is not imposition, but to enable mutual respect and evolve human consciousness and society. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is the most practical way to ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger’ as expressed by the G20 Indonesia 2022. It helps us move from an “I-Them” approach to an “I-We” approach. It also fosters a Dharma-based society where the strong protects the weak, where giving precedes taking and where rights and responsibilities are synchronous,” the website states.

What do experts say?

Takeo Konishi, country director of India Resident Mission, Asian Development Bank, in a piece, noted that India is crucial to forming a consensus to address global challenges

Konishi added that New Delhi is critical to ‘tailoring global solutions’.

An article in The Economic Times opined that India has no better opportunity to lead the G20 through ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’.

“We live on a bruised and contaminated earth, fighting the virus, war, inflation, learning poverty, global warming, and loss of income and employment, all at the same time. Never was there so much despair with oil and gas prices hitting the roof and economies at a loss regarding debt and revival post-recession. It is a ‘second coming moment’,” it stated.

A report in India Today noted that the maxim is also engraved at the entry of the Indian Parliament’s Central Hall. “The 5000-year-old Indian civilisation is quintessential of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, India being home to all the four major religions of the world, a melting pot of various beliefs, ideologies, ethnicities, cultures, food habits, dress sense, values.”

The article quoted former vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu as saying, “Our ancient society built on Sanatana Dharma accommodated people from all faiths, and in fact, the majority community through centuries has been an insular force in preventing religious conflicts between other groups”. He further opines that it is a living example of our ancient belief of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or humanity is one family, in all its rich diversity.

The G-20, or Group of 20, is an intergovernmental forum of major developed and developing economies.

It comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and nations under the European Union (EU).

The G-20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation representing around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world’s population.

With inputs from agencies