UN to consider Indian diplomat's song as a global initiative

UNESCO has agreed to consider an Earth Anthem written by an Indian poet-diplomat here as a global initiative, a senior UN official has said.
"This is an excellent sign of using global languages for an Earth Anthem. I hope that the United Nations and UNESCO take up this idea further and this becomes a global initiative", UNESCO representative to Nepal, Alex Plathe said yesterday while speaking on the occasion of the Anthem's release.
The Earth Anthem is written by Abhay Kumar, First Secretary, Press, Information and Culture, Embassy of India in Kathmandu.
"Blue colour of Earth gives me immense peace and I thought of paying tribute to the planet through this song. In addition, this song is a composition which gives a message of Earth, as the common home for all living beings of this planet.

This is a composition which intends to unite the world despite the diverse class, creed and classification," the writer said about his newly released song.
The Earth Anthem has been composed and sung by Nepalese musicians Sapan Ghimere and Shreya Sotang and highlights people-to-people relations between Nepal and India, for a better world.

Veteran Nepali actor Rajesh Hamal emphasised the need for greater and intensive cultural diplomacy between Nepal and India to advance the interests of both the countries as well as their peoples.
Kumar was felicitated by former Prime Minister and chairman of CPN-UML, Jhalanath Khanal at a function in Kathmandu yesterday in the presence of Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Jayanta Prasad.

Kumar has written several books including River Valley to Silicon Valley. He has been honoured with the SAARC Literature Award for his contribution to contemporary South Asian Poetry and nominated for the Pushcart Prize 2013.