Rajnath Singh is winning praises for choosing ’Namaste’ while Russian official offers handshake

Mangalore Today News Network / News18

Moscow, Sep 03, 2020:    Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is on a three-day visit to Moscow, Russia where he will attend a crucial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu on boosting bilateral defence cooperation. This, at a time, when the pandemic has ended most physical meetings across the world.

A viral video of Singh’s interaction with Russian officials on arrival at the airport has raked immense praises from Indians, thanks to yet another Namastey!

When the defence minister was received by Major General Bukhteev Yury Nikolaevich, he greeted everyone around him with folded hands. As Singh started proceeding he was introduced to several other officers and one among them extended his hand for a handshake. In no time, he quickly pulled it back and Singh reciprocated with the Indian Namastey.

Taking to Twitter, Singh shared the video and said, "Reached Moscow this evening. Looking forward to my bilateral meeting with the Russian Counterpart General Sergey Shoygu tomorrow."

Following fears that the Coronavirus may spread through physical contact with an affected person, many across the world have limited their physical contact and the effect can be seen in the way people are now greeting each other. And one type of greeting which has been winning the world is the Indian way of saying hello with folded hands and a namaste.And once more netizens couldn’t stop gloating and preening over Singh’s namaste, and lauded the minister for popularising the Indian culture and style across the world.

The meeting is taking place under the shadow of a fierce border row between India and China, both members of the influential bloc. The SCO comprises eight member states — India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

However, this isn’t the first instance when the Indian ’namaste’ became a popular choice amond world leaders while greeting each other.

Early this year, in June, UK Prime Minsiter Boris Johnson and Prince Charles greeted French President Emmanuel Macron with folded hands. Macron was in London to mark the 80th anniversary of former French President Charles de Gaulle’s famous appeal to resist the Nazis during the World War II.It was observed that all of them greeted each other with folded hands embracing the Indian style of ’namaste’.

In August, Macron was hosting German Chancellor Angela Merkel for talks at his summer residence in a medieval island fortress in the Mediterranean when he greeted the Merkel by replacing the traditional handshake with an Indian-style namaste, pressing his palms together and bowing slightly. Merkel responded in a similar fashion, bowing slightly while pressing her hands together.

 

Здравствуйте Russia!
Reached Moscow this evening. Looking forward to my bilateral meeting with the Russian Counterpart General Sergey Shoygu tomorrow. https://t.co/FgayfbJIIR

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 2, 2020