‘Civilisations rooted in culture do not clash’: Sandeep Waslekar

MUMBAI: “A clash of civilisations never occurs between truly cultured societies and civilised minds. Where there is culture, conflict cannot exist,” international policy expert and author Sandeep Waslekar said at the ‘Devarshi Narad Patrakar Samman 2026’ ceremony held in Mumbai on Saturday.Addressing the event organised by Vishwa Samvad Kendra at the National Stock Exchange amphitheatre in Bandra-Kurla Complex, Waslekar said India’s core philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” — the world is one family — was increasingly being overshadowed by dominant global media narratives.“India must reduce foreign dependence across sectors and strengthen indigenous capabilities. The country is steadily moving towards self-reliance,” he said.The event was attended by former Director General of Ordnance and retired Lieutenant General R. R. Nimbhorkar, keynote speaker Prashant Pol, and Vishwa Samvad Kendra president Sudhir Jogalekar.A panel discussion on “Clash of Civilisations” preceded the awards ceremony, during which Nimbhorkar said India’s defence preparedness had strengthened considerably and that the armed forces were fully equipped to tackle external threats. He noted that India’s defence exports had reached nearly Rs 30,000 crore and highlighted the country’s culture of coexistence during international peacekeeping missions.Prashant Pol said dialogue, coexistence and coordination formed the essence of Indian civilisation. “Consensus achieved through dialogue is superior to war,” he said.Twelve journalists and digital media creators were honoured for their contributions across categories. Veteran journalist Ganesh 'Bhau' Torsekar received the lifetime achievement award. Others honoured included Milind Ballal, Jitendra Dixit, Mayur Parikh and Rakesh Trivedi.Awards were also presented to Gaurishankar Ghale for reporting, Sanjeev Bhagwat for writing, and young journalists Manashri Pathak and Sagar Devre. Social media creators Akash Dandekar, Manik Rege and Akash Bhavsar were also felicitated.