Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, along with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, H.E. Navinchandra Ramgoolam, today addressed a gathering of the Indian community and friends of India in Mauritius at a special event held at the Trianon Convention Centre.
The event saw enthusiastic participation from the Indian diaspora, including students, professionals, socio-cultural organizations, and business leaders. It was also attended by several Ministers, Members of Parliament, and other dignitaries from Mauritius.
Welcoming Prime Minister Modi at the event, Prime Minister Ramgoolam announced that Mauritius would be conferring its highest civilian award ‘Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean [G.C.S.K]’ on Prime Minister of India during the National Day celebrations.
Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to him for this exceptional honour. In his address, Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister of Mauritius for his warmth and friendship and for his contribution to strengthening the vibrant and special ties between the two countries.
In a special gesture, he handed over OCI cards to PM Ramgoolam and his spouse, Mrs Veena Ramgoolam. Conveying greetings to the Mauritian people on the occasion of their National Day, Prime Minister recalled the shared historical journey of the two countries.
He paid tributes to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, Manilal Doctor and others who fought for Mauritius’s independence and noted that it was an honour for him to attend the National Day celebrations of Mauritius as Chief Guest.
Highlighting the shared heritage and familial connections that form the bedrock of the close people-to-people ties between the two countries, Prime Minister appreciated how the Indian origin community in Mauritius had preserved and nurtured their cultural roots.
To further strengthen these bonds, a special carve out for Mauritius has been made whereby OCI cards can be made available to the seventh generation of the people of Indian origin in Mauritius. Prime Minister underscored that India would be supporting several initiatives to nurture the Girmitiya legacy.
Prime Minister noted that India was privileged to be a close development partner of Mauritius. He further elaborated that India-Mauritius special ties played a key role in India’s SAGAR Vision and its engagement with the Global South.
Speaking about tackling the shared challenge of climate change, he appreciated Mauritius’s partnership in the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance initiatives. In this context, PM also highlighted the Ek Pedh Maa Ke Naam ( Plant4Mother) initiative under which he planted a sapling at the historic Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanic Garden earlier in the day.
Full address of Prime Minister may be seen here. The event featured a captivating cultural programme, with performances by artistes from Indira Gandhi Centre for Indian Culture (IGCIC), Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) and Anna Medical College.