Proud inheritors of historic legacies, India and West Asia have been friends and neighbours since the dawn of civilisation. With the advent of Islam the Arab-Indian contacts were further strengthened. It was the Arabs who attempted the first written history of India and drew its maps. They learnt a great deal from Indian science and medicine and spread it across the world, notably the so-called Arabic numerals and the concept of zero, thereby introducing India to the West. Both the regions suffered common experiences of oppression and exploitation under colonialism. Today, the issues of distributive justice, gender and human rights, civil society, environment and education have become the common concerns. Solutions to contemporary problems cannot be founded in universalistic formulas and beliefs in linear progress. Systematic initiatives need to be launched to secure unity without disturbing diversity; the history of Indian and West Asian relations provides valuable examples for making such efforts. Prominent Indian and West Asian scholars, academics and policy makers came together in the course of a two-day seminar to reflect on these issues, share experiences and search for solutions that transcend divisive mindsets.
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