New York, Nov 7 (IANS) Karan Singh, president, Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), was conferred with an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters by the State University of New York here Saturday.

'As an internationally respected humanitarian and one of the most learned individuals of modern times, you have a lasting impact on philosophy, culture, education and the environment in India and abroad,' the university said in its citation.

In his acceptance speech, Singh, the scholar politician who briefly served as Indian ambassador to the US in the late 1980s, said India and the US 'the two largest democracies in the world, must be in the forefront of fighting both terrorism and hunger, as well as leading the way to tackle the problems caused by climate change'.

Noting that 'our two countries have had a long and generally positive relationship', Singh said their great leaders have had an abiding impact on each other's countries. 'Abraham Lincoln and F.D. Roosevelt are held in high esteem in India, as are Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru in the United States.'

'Martin Luther King and the whole Civil Rights Movements drew its inspiration from Gandhi's teachings, while the American way of life, dress and entertainment is becoming increasingly popular among the more affluent sections of Indian society,' he said.

Citing George Bernard Shaw who once said, 'Youth is a wonderful thing, what a pity it is wasted on the young', Singh urged 'all of us, young and old', to optimise their youth for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual growth.