Freedom of religion is enshrined in the Constitution of Kazakhstan: Nursultan Nazarbayev

ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN: Seventy years is an old age under Narendra Modi to hold a ministerial post in India but Nursultan Nazarbayev who turned 75 on Monday is going strong and holding this world's ninth biggest country with 140 different nationalities and sub-nationalities together.

Ever since he became President in 1991 following the break-up of USSR, Nazarbayev has promoted pluralism and secularism building on the Soviet legacy — in what many Kazakhs say is the best approach to govern this country — having population of 17 million that comprises Kazakhs, Russians, Uzbeks, Germans, South Koreans, Tatars and Uighurs to name just a few ethnic groups. Nazarbayev ensured that freedom of religion is enshrined in the Constitution and several branches of Christianity have their churches registered in this country. Jews, Hindus and Buddhist organisations are also registered in this country.

In many ways Kazakhstan like India has proven on promoting pluralism and set an example for multi-ethnic societies. A public display of this was visible in capital Astana on Monday where many Turkic origin people in the city came together for celebrating nomads' festival. "After all Kazakhs are nomads and like all nomads we are flexible and can accept all without any rigidity. This explains why we are open to multi-ethnicity," noted Nurlan, who participated in the nomad's festival. There is a strong European influence that is visible in lifestyle and outlook of the locals. Central Asia after all derives its identity from pluralist school of thought where Orthodox Christianity is celebrated in equal spirits as Eid.

Every four years, Astana hosts the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions at the iconic 'Pyramid of Peace and Accord'. The congress assembles religious leaders from all corners of the world to discuss, debate, and exchange views on theology, society and politics.

As Modi visits Kazakhstan to seek broader coalition to fight terror in the Af-Pak region, he will be building on commonalities — multi-ethnic and multi-religious society and high level of tolerance. Both share an old relationship through Buddhist and Sufi links which needs to be reinvigorated in keeping with contemporary realities to help realise the common objectives of both countries, officials in the local government point out. Kazakhstan is among the handful of Muslim majority countries that have full diplomatic relations with Israel.

However, notwithstanding this secular approach Kazakhs and the Nazarbayev-led government are worried over reports of a few Kazakhs joining ISIS to fight in West Asia. Concerned with the development the local government has launched initiative to locate the hardliners and forces that are instigating citizens to join ISIS, Kazakh government officials indicated. Unlike some other countries in the neighbourhood, Kazakhstan has been stable and immune to radical forces so far. The Kazakh security establishment is also keeping a close watch on the funds that might be entering the country with the goal of radicalisation. Close counter-terror and interagency cooperation between India and Kazakhstan are on the cards to combat menace in the region including Afghanistan and beyond, sources from both governments indicated. The Indo-Kazakh Joint Working Group on Terror is being reinvigorated for result oriented outcomes.