Interview of Vietnamese ambassador in Delhi

Mr. Ton sinh Thanh

Mr. Ton sinh Thanh came to Calcutta where we met him & find that he is very indigenous, intelligent, friendly & down to earth . Discussed with him over many issues of Indo-Vietnam relations. Vietnamese culture, education, etc. Here are some excerpts of his exclusive interview,

1. What do u like in Calcutta ?

1. Calcuttans are very emotional, warm, friendly. They do friendship with heart. This is the thing which appealed me most.

2. I think Vietnam is also male dominated society like India ?

2. Along with the time everything is changing very fast. In the past Vietnam was male dominated country like India. Family ruled by head of the family member. Women has no say . They look after children & house. Both girls & boys were expected to be married at young age. Marriages were generally arranged by the parents. In modern Vietnam people freely choose their own marriage partners.

3. Will you narrate me in detail about arrange marriage.?

· It’s very interesting. Before the wedding ,the groom & his family visit the bride & her family with round lacquered boxes known as betrothal presents. The quantity of boxes must be an odd numbers. The presents include areca, nuts, betel, leaves, tea, cake ,fruits, wine & other various delicacies with money. The presents are covered with red paper or cloth, & they are carried by unmarried girls or boys. After this head of the family decide wedding date. On wedding day ,the groom’s family & relatives go to the bride’s house for marriage.

4. We know that Vietnamese are heavily influenced by Chinese culture ?

· It’s true .But the culture of Vietnam is one of the oldest in South East Asia. The strong influence of Buddhism, the most popular religion in Vietnam and, to certain extent, of Taoism .

5. What is Confucianism ?

· Confucianism, which places strong emphasis on duty, courtesy and virtue, also has strong influence in Vietnam. As a result, Vietnamese people have a tradition of respecting teachers, elders and authorities and being responsible to their families and society.

6. Women condition in Vietnam, Is it upgraded ?

· Women are leader in our country. They are doing job. Even doing business.

7. I came to know that it's only on paper. But in reality women condition is still miserable?.

· Today’s Vietnam is a changed Vietnam, believe in education & equality. Lot’s of women are in govt. job. Even in market. You will find almost market is dominated by women. Women are in shop, as a owner or a sales person. Happily selling their products or buying .

8. Vietnam is developing very fast. What is the reason?

Very simple. We Vietnamese are very hard working & nationalist. Good management is our priority. Always try to learn from developed & fast developing countries. That is the reason of our success.

9. How do u assess Indo –Vietnam relations?

· the traditional friendship and strategic partnership between Vietnam and India is developing steadily. The two countries have regularly exchanged delegations. Vietnam and India are trade partners. In 2013 two-way trade totaled 5.23 billion USD, 32% higher than in 2012. Major Vietnamese export items to India include mobile phones, accessories and machinery. Vietnam imports from India mainly maize, animal feeds and pharmaceutical products.

10. You have seen Delhi & Calcutta So what’s your estimation about both cities?

Being a capital of India, Delhi is a city of famous people. It’s very big city but maintenance is not so good as it required. While Calcutta is a city of culture. People of Calcutta loves Literature They are very friendly. Their warm hospitality leave a long-lasting impact.