View source for Indian Society for Cultural Co-operation and Friendship

{{Infobox organization
| name                = Indian Society for Cultural Co-operation and Friendship
| abbreviation = ISCUF
| image               =
| image_border        = 
| size                = 200px
| alt                 = 
| caption             = 
| map                 = 
| msize               = 
| malt                = 
| mcaption            = 
| motto               = 
| formation           = {{Start date and years ago|df=yes|p=y|1941|06|21}}
| type                = 
| headquarters        = First Floor (Rear Portion) 7, Tansen Marg, Bangali Market, [[New Delhi]] - 110 001, [[India]]
| leader_title        = General Secretary
| leader_name         = Bijay Kumar Padhihari
| leader_title2       = 
| leader_name2        = 
| purpose             = 
| location            = India
| region_served       = 
| membership          = 
| language            = 
| main_organ          = 
| main_organ2         = 
| num_staff           = 
| num_volunteers      = 
| affiliations        = 
| budget              = 
| website             = 
| remarks             = 
}}

The '''Indian Society for Cultural Co-operation and Friendship''' ('''ISCUF''') is an organization in India promoting people-to-people cultural understanding and friendship. The organization was initially known as the '''Friends of the Soviet Union''' and, later, the '''Indo-Soviet Cultural Society''' ('''ISCUS''').<ref name=a>Indian Society for Cultural Co-operation and Friendship. ''[http://iscuf.com/indian-friendship-movement-short-historical-background/ Indian Friendship Movement: Short Historical Background]''</ref><ref>ROSSOTRUDNICHESTVO. ''[http://ind.rs.gov.ru/en/news/9372?category_id=9 The 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Russia and India was celebrated...]''</ref>

The Friends of the Soviet Union was founded in [[West Bengal]] on June 22, 1941, the same day as Germany attacked the Soviet Union.<ref name=a/><ref name="Windmiller2011">{{cite book|author=Marshall Windmiller|title=Communism in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PAFBW743Bi4C&pg=PA407|year=2011|publisher=University of California Press|page=407|id=GGKEY:NSY99CAKNFU}}</ref><ref name=vn1>''Vietnam+''. ''[https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnamindia-friendship-exchange-programmes-promoted/156219.vnp Vietnam-India friendship, exchange programmes promoted]''</ref> An Organisation Committee was formed with Bhupendra Nath Dutta ([[Swami Vivekananda]]'s younger brother) as the chairman, and, Hiren Mukherjee and S.K. Acharya as secretaries.<ref name=a/> The poet [[Rabindranath Tagore]] was the patron of the Organisation Committee.<ref name=a/><ref name="Gnati͡uk-Danilʹchuk1986">{{cite book|author=Aleksandr Gnati͡uk-Danilʹchuk|title=Tagore, India, and Soviet Union: A Dream Fulfilled|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QJtjAAAAMAAJ|year=1986|publisher=Firma KLM|pages=345–346}}</ref> [[Bhupesh Gupta]] and [[Jyoti Basu]] were active in mobilizing support for the organization.<ref name=a/> A second conference of the organisation was held in April 1944, presided by [[Nellie Sengupta]].<ref name="Windmiller2011"/>
<!-- 
The founding meeting took place at 46, Dharamtala Street in [[Calcutta]].<ref name=m>''Mainstream Weekly''. ''[http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article9664.html Jolly Kaul’s Quest For A Better World | Bhanudeb Dutta]''</ref> -->
At a convention held in the Convocation Hall of [[Bombay University]] June 3–4, 1944 the organisation became the 'All India Friends of the Soviet Union'.<ref name="Windmiller2011"/> Some 2,000 people took part in the event, out of whom a hundred were delegates.<ref name="Windmiller2011"/> In 1944 the organization began publishing ''Indo-Soviet Journal'' from [[Bombay]].<ref name=a/> The organization developed close collaboration with its Soviet counterpart [[VOKS]], and conducted various cultural activities.<ref name=a/> The organization promoted the [[Asian Relations Conference]] of 1946, and participated in the event.<ref name=a/>

On March 12, 1952, the organization was reconstituted as ISCUS at a convention at Sunderbhai Hall in Bombay, with Dr. A.V. Baliga as the new chairman of the ISCUS National Council.<ref name=a/>

ISCUS transformed into ISCUF in 1993, following the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]].<ref name=a/> In 2017 ISCUF signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the [http://vufo.org.vn/Default.aspx?lang=en Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations] (VUFO), outlining cooperation for the period 2017–2022.<ref name=vn1/> In December 2018 ISCUF held its 22nd National Conference in [[Coimbatore]], with participation from the embassies of Cuba, Russia and Vietnam.<ref>''Times of India''. ''[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/foreign-delegates-at-city-conference-emphasise-friendly-relations-with-india/articleshow/67212315.cms Foreign delegates at city conference emphasise friendly relations with India]''</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:India friendship associations]]
[[Category:Soviet Union friendship associations]]
[[Category:Civic and political organisations of India]]
[[Category:India–Soviet Union relations]]
[[Category:Communist Party of India mass organisations]]


{{India-org-stub}}
{{Soviet-stub}}