New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday arrived in Mauritius on a two-day state visit during which he will attend the island nation's national day celebrations as the chief guest and hold meetings with the country's top leadership. During his visit, the two countries will sign several pacts providing for cooperation in the areas of capacity building, trade and tackling cross-border financial crimes.
Interestingly, this is not PM Modi’s first to the island nation. In fact, his ties with Mauritius date back to 1998, when he visited the country and "held no public office, working tirelessly for the BJP."
'Modi Archive' on X narrates PM Modi's life journey through archival pictures, videos, audio recordings, letters, newspaper clips, and other material. "India and Mauritius share a deep bond of history, ancestry, culture, language, and the Indian Ocean. As Prime Minister @narendramodi revisits Mauritius, it feels like a homecoming to 'Mini India," Modi Archive wrote on X.
PM Modi visited the country in 1998 to address the International Ramayana Conference in Moka. As the BJP's National General Secretary at that time, he spoke about Lord Ram's universal values and the Ramayana's role in uniting India and Mauritius.
Why is Mauritius called as Mini India?
It should be noted that Mauritius holds a 'special connection' with India as a vast chunk of its population has their origins in the country. "As PM Modi revisits Mauritius, it feels like a homecoming to Mini India," said the X handle Modi Archive.
PM Modi recalled the deep bond of history, language and culture that the two nations share and said spoke about Lord Ram's universal values and how the Ramayana serves as a bridge uniting India and Mauritius in an eternal civilisational embrace.
PM Modi lands in Mauritius to grand welcome
Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Mauritius on Tuesday to a grand and warm welcome by Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam at the airport. He said he will be meeting Mauritius President Dharam Gokhool, PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam and address a community programme in the evening.
In a post on X, he said, "Landed in Mauritius. I am grateful to my friend, PM Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam, for the special gesture of welcoming me at the airport. This visit is a wonderful opportunity to engage with a valued friend and explore new avenues for collaboration in various sectors. Today, I will be meeting President Dharam Gokhool, PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam and addressing a community programme in the evening."