Indo-French Friends club launched in Varanasi

Varanasi, Mar 10 Ahead of the proposed visit by French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi here, a group of local youths and some French nationals have framed a club to work towards enhancing man-to-man contact between the people of the two nations.

The 'Indo-French Friends Club' was launched at Assi Ghat on Thursday.

"The idea of getting the nationals of both the countries together to improve personal contact just came to fruition and we gave it the type of Indo-French Friends Club," the convenor and founder of the club, Uttam Ojha, told.

Ojha said Varanasi is where nationals of a several countries stay for long terms to understand the old city.

"Same is the case with the French nationals who visit the city for their profound interests. We have come together to have a common platform with them to share our history, culture, expressions and nourishment," Ojha said.

The club has started special programmes which will proceed till March 12, the day Modi and Macron are scheduled to arrive here.
The two leaders would have a boat ride on "Kailasha" from Assi to Dashaswamedh ghat, a separation of around 500 meters, Ojha said.

"It will be a one-to-one conversation between the two pioneers and this is the thing that we are making progress toward additionally for the nationals of both the nations for a superior comprehension of every others perspective," he said.

"Later, more programmes on academics, workmanship and cultural activities will be sorted out," he included.

A program to felicitate French nationals living in Varanasi for quite a while and serving the people is scheduled at the French Study Center at the BHU.

"One such French national is Mustafa who has been coming here frequently since 1982. There is another woman who is working for the underprivileged," Ohja said.

Alongside such people, local people will make progress toward coordination at the social, social, scholarly and profound levels.

"The club will open a similar centre for facilitating the visit of French visitors touching base here later on," he said.