On Saturday last week, Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf lit up for the Indian diaspora in Taiwan to celebrate Diwali, one of India’s biggest festivals. It attracted people from different nationalities, with Taiwanese the most enthusiastic participants. One of the main highlights of the day was the performance by the 72nd session of the Chenggong High School Band, which moved many Indians present at the venue and back home through social media. The high-school band performed a fusion of various regional Indian songs and ended with the mystic tune called Homage to Bharat, highlighting the diversity of India. Some of the songs presented were classic Indian songs such as Dil Hai Chota Sa by A. R. Rahman, Yad Lagla, a famous Marathi song from the western coast of India by Ajay-Atul, and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s Ekla Cholo Re. Tagore’s Ekla Cholo Re translates as “walk alone.” Written in 1905 during the anti-colonial and self-sufficiency Swadeshi movement, it is a famous Bengali patriotic song that highlights individual courage, self-reliance and moral conviction in the face of isolation. The song was a beacon of hope in the face of British colonial rule. Beyond politics, it also spoke to the human experience of standing up for something that is virtuous, even when nobody is willing to take the first step. After more than a century, Tagore’s music still resonates with countries and people who find courage in fighting for their independence and rights. The rendition of this song by a Taiwanese high-school band tells us how music travels across borders. Yad Lagla (“I have gone crazy”), a Marathi (official language of the Indian state Maharashtra) song about affection, infatuation and the sweetness of falling in love for the first time, was composed by the famous Indian composer duo Ajay-Atul. As the video of the performance went viral on social media, many people from Maharashtra sent their love to Taiwan for performing a regional-language song, relishing the excitement of hearing a popular song thousands of kilometers away from home, and its importance in their culture.
Dil Hai Chota Sa is a celebrated song from the 1992 Tamil-turned-Hindi film Roja and is composed by Rahman. It conveys the message of innocence and uncorrupted roots of joy. The lyrics remind us that happiness does not require grand or complicated ambitions and that the heart has simple desires. The event featured different aspects of Indian culture, such as henna art, diya decoration, Indian art and food stalls. Taiwanese joined Indians on the dance floor by the end of the night and danced to the tunes of famous Bollywood songs. Diplomats, students, businessmen, organizers, performers and artists from both countries were present. No official diplomatic ties exist between Taiwan and India, so the growth of this relationship relies on public trust and acceptance. The performance by the band and various other groups shows cooperation at the grassroots level and complements existing policies between the countries. It showed young Taiwanese engaging with Indian culture and highlighted the importance of people-to-people ties. The ties between Taiwan and India are growing faster than the frameworks to support them. Therefore, public engagement and openness to shared culture and traditions must be welcomed and celebrated for future cooperation. Without effective public support, agreements such as the labor mobility agreement between the two countries are bound to face systemic hurdles and reduce efficiency. There have been other positive developments: Direct flights are to be launched between Taipei and New Delhi starting Dec. 1. Taiwan and India would also have deeper cooperation for semiconductors, drones and chip production. There are about 3,000 Indian students in Taiwan. Flights, fabs and worker programs work better when people on both sides meaningfully interact with each other. Cultural diplomacy plays an essential role in establishing and promoting this interaction. Tagore has written the anthems of two nations, but his work on universal humanism has never belonged to any one country. A high-school band performance does not change geopolitics, but it shows the kind of goodwill needed for both nations to build a partnership that will last for a long time. Akankshya Ray is a doctoral student in the College of Social Sciences’ International Doctoral Program in Asia-Pacific Studies at National Chengchi University. She holds a master’s degree in conflict analysis and peacebuilding.