India Responds To China Opposing Use Of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' In G20 Documents

After China reportedly objected to the use of Sanskrit phrase 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' in G20 documents, India on Friday (11 August) said that it was the inspiration for the theme of the G20 under India's presidency.

"The working language of the G20 meetings is English. As you are aware, the theme of our G20 presidency in English is One Earth, One Family, One Future. This is based on our civilization ethos of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", which has received widespread support and permeates many of the initiatives that India has brought onto the G20 agenda. And this also finds reflection in the G20 logo, which has the words in Sanskrit as well as in English," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a press briefing.

According to an India Today report, in the outcome document after the G20 Energy Transistions Working Group meeting in Goa last month, China opposed the use of the Sanskrit phrase, arguing that it is not recognised by the United Nations, which has Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish as its official languages. 

However,China was the only exception as the other members saw nothing wrong with the use of Sanskrit language.

Several members said that India as the chair of the G20 had the right to take a call on such matters, reports The New Indian Express.

However, even though the objections were raised orally, the Sanskrit phrase has been retained in the logo and letterhead of each document but the final document only had the English version.

'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' is the theme of India’s G20 Presidency. It is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad.

Essentially, 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.