Dana, building Sino-Indian bridges

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">BANGALORE: She is a Buddhist monk who is passionate about two things — India and China. She is also a <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">behan</span>, who is trying to rekindle the Nehruvian-era message: "India <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Chini bhai bhai</span>." <br />Dr Dana Schuppert, chairman and chief executive officer, Sino-European Investment Management Limited, is a "cultural ambassador" who is on an eternal journey to bring the two neighbouring countries closer again.<br />In Bangalore this week as part of her venture to initiate cultural and economic exchanges between Bangalore and Sichua and Yunnan, she spoke to this paper of the three common interests the two countries share — Buddhism, yoga and 5,000 years of common cultural background. <br />Dana, an European with French and German parents and whose name finds root in Sanskrit, says she lives by her name, which means "the joy of giving or accompanying other people in their spiritual journey". So, she says, "We must bring back Buddhism to India, which is a spin-off of Hinduism. We must learn to go back to our roots and connect with nature. Otherwise, we''ll reach the end of a cultural cycle, like the Western world, which is dangerous."<br />A great admirer of Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, Dana sees Karnataka and Sichuan making exchanges in the fields of information technology, biotechnology and tourism. At a macro-level, she says India could help China with its software solutions and the latter could respond with its capabilities in the hardware sector and tourism. She sees hope in the younger generation of the two countries, "who are willing to put some luggage of history behind."<br />"In China, yoga, ayurveda and Indian food are popular." And in India, she was told about the popularity of Chinese food. Summing it all up, she says, "It''s just about rebuilding bridges." <br />India is yet to realise the potential of non-resident Indians, Dana feels. She quotes an example to be emulated. "There are 80 million overseas Chinese. More than half of them came back to China and invested in its development. I don''t see it happening in India." <br />There is no differentiating the varied aspects that make up Dana -- ballet dancer, Buddhist, adviser to the People''s Daily, the most powerful Chinese government mouthpiece, publisher of seven books, PhD in Human and Economic Sciences, financial expert and a "cosmically empowered" diplomat. <br />Dana, who is to initiate an exchange of delegations between the two countries, has a strong message; "Those who can see further have the obligation and the responsibility to do more, for the benefit of others." And she is the common factor between India and China. </div> </div>