Indian Civilization is 5000 Years Old: Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan in Gaya

Gaya: Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan has underscored India’s enduring influence on global thought, citing its ancient texts and philosophies, during the inaugural ceremony of a two-day international conference on Social Aspects of Integral Humanism. The event, held at the Central University of South Bihar (CUSB) in Gaya, was organised by the Deendayal Upadhyaya Integral Humanism and Social Policy Centre and supported by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi.

Speaking at the conference, Governor Khan emphasised that Indian civilisation, dating back nearly 5,000 years, has significantly shaped the intellectual traditions of the world, including those of the West. He placed Indian thought alongside Iranian, Chinese, Roman, and Turk civilisations, asserting that India has long been a proponent of knowledge and wisdom.

Quoting from the Bhagavad Gita, the Vedas, and the works of Adi Shankaracharya and Swami Vivekananda, Governor Khan highlighted that Indian philosophy teaches respect for diversity and inclusivity. He suggested that the concept of Integral Humanism—a philosophy espoused by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya—could have been included in the preamble of the Indian Constitution as a unifying term rather than multiple descriptive phrases.

India Foundation President Dr. Ram Madhav, another key speaker, contended that while India has produced influential thinkers such as Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, the country has not sufficiently highlighted its philosophical roots on the global stage. He urged India to embrace its indigenous intellectual traditions rather than being excessively shaped by Western thought.

The conference featured research presentations by young scholars, with discussions led by prominent academics and policymakers. Among the speakers were Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, former Rajya Sabha MP; former Nalanda International University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sunaina Singh; Prof. Claude Vishnu Spak from Sorbonne University, Abu Dhabi; Prof. Vandana Mishra from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU); Dr. Guru Prakash Paswan from Patna University; and CUSB Dean Prof. Pranav Kumar.

According to conference coordinators Dr. Sudhanshu Kumar Jha and Dr. Rohit Kumar, the first day saw multiple parallel sessions where scholars presented research papers on various aspects of integral humanism and social policy.