Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred with Mauritius' highest civilian honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean, during his two-day visit.
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00:00Live visuals coming in from Port Louis in Mauritius where Prime Minister Narendra Modi
00:08presently is.
00:09He is on a two-day visit.
00:11You are looking at the National Day celebrations and despite the downpour, clearly there is
00:17a massive congregation of people from Mauritius.
00:21Look at that.
00:22Clearly a heavy downpour that has not stopped the event right now from proceeding.
00:28All smiles.
00:29Prime Minister Modi has been conferred with one of the highest honours right now in Mauritius.
00:35That's the badge, the medal you are looking at.
00:38Let's listen and dip into the sounds on the ground.
00:41Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of everyone present, I extend my
00:48sincere gratitude to His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Mauritius.
00:52He's been conferred with the country's highest award.
00:55Mauritius is the Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean.
01:00All right, what a lovely visual there.
01:01Prime Minister Modi holding the hands.
01:02This is a collective film with the leadership of Mauritius.
01:03A strong Indian origin connect there.
01:04The newly elected Prime Minister has Indian origins.
01:05In fact, his father also was a Prime Minister of Mauritius.
01:16Look at these visuals on your screen.
01:18Our India has a vision, which is for the global south to become a united one entity.
01:25In the island nation, Prime Minister Modi has arrived.
01:29People all prepared, ready with umbrellas and the flag of Mauritius, but to also ensure
01:36their presence.
01:37Smiling PM Modi, who has been conferred with the highest honour right now, he's also announced
01:44in turn measures between Mauritius and India.
01:47Eight pacts have been signed.
01:50There's been an issuance of the OCI card as well, we are told, to the Mauritian Prime
01:54Minister and his spouse.
01:56It's the commitment to the diaspora.
01:58Remember Mauritius, of course, apart from their own ethnic population, has a massive
02:02Indian origin and Indian diaspora people.
02:05We are looking at strong bilateral relationship with Mauritius and at a time, remember, when
02:10China has been eyeing these island nations and not with best interests, India wants to
02:16send out a message that we are in this together.
02:20India Today Global's Shashank Mattu joins me for the latest on that.
02:24Shashank, a big honour coming in for Prime Minister Modi, one of the highest civilian
02:27honours.
02:28How are we looking at this relationship with the island nation, Shashank?
02:32Absolutely, it is a big honour.
02:35Prime Minister Modi is actually the first Indian recipient of this award, which is the
02:40Grand Commander of the Order and the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean.
02:43It is Mauritius' highest civilian honour and it comes at an interesting time.
02:48Remember, this is a new government in Mauritius led by Prime Minister Ramakulam.
02:52He is, of course, bringing Prime Minister Modi there and has invited him to be already
02:57the Chief Guest at the National Day.
02:59So, it's really honour upon honour being keeped on the Prime Minister of India.
03:03Essentially, the idea, of course, is that they want to firm up the political relationship
03:08very, very closely.
03:09And again, this is an honour that is given, really, to very, very few people.
03:14Nelson Mandela, for example, has achieved it in the past.
03:17Only five foreign dignitaries have actually received this award.
03:20But the important thing to remember is the substance of what the Prime Minister is going
03:24to achieve there.
03:25He wants to push forward maritime security.
03:27Remember that Mauritius is an island nation, which is very, very strategically located.
03:31India is developing a military facility there in Agalega Island.
03:35That is something that is crucial to India's foreign policy and national security, especially
03:39given the rise of China in recent weeks, in recent months and years.
03:43So, that is something that is likely to continue.
03:46And if you have the rise of China, you also need a strong India-Mauritius partnership,
03:51which is what you're seeing on display during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Mauritius
03:54this time.
03:55Also remember, because there's, of course, apart from the strategic issues here, the
04:00fact that there's such a strong Indian diaspora there, Shashank.
04:04We're talking about thousands of even Indian origin individuals, including the Prime Minister
04:09himself.
04:10Some of them trace their generations to India.
04:12At least over five generations are associated with the country, settled there now in Mauritius.
04:17So, tell us how, of course, there's a strategic issue here.
04:20But there's a very clear people-to-people connect between India and Mauritius.
04:25Absolutely.
04:26And that relationship goes back decades.
04:29The independent movement in Mauritius 60-70 years ago was also inspired by the international
04:34movement.
04:35There were close political and cultural links between these leaders.
04:38The leaders of Mauritius have almost invariably in the past been of Indian descent.
04:42I'm thinking, of course, of Anirudh Jagnauth, as well as his son, Prateen Jagnauth, as well
04:49as the current leader, Prime Minister Dambhulam.
04:52So, that shared cultural heritage has really made a very, very high level of strategic
04:58trust between India and Mauritius possible to the extent that, and this is something
05:01we talk about often, the National Security Advisor of Mauritius, Dambhulam, is handling
05:05these key sensitive issues.
05:06He's actually an Indian officer.
05:08And that, I think, highlights the level of trust, both culturally and politically.
05:12Stay on with me, Shashank.
05:13Stay on with me.
05:14Such a massive downfall, but that hasn't deterred people.
05:17They're standing there, umbrellas in hand, and the shy colour of their country, to watch
05:23Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister, receive the highest honour for Mauritius.
05:28Remember, Prime Minister Modi becomes the first Indian to receive Mauritius' highest
05:33civilian award.
05:34This is, I reiterate, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian
05:38Ocean.
05:39He becomes the first Indian recipient of these prestigious references.
05:43And if Prime Minister Modi is making a statement, look at that visual.
05:47That's the visual when the leadership of Mauritius conferred him with this highest
05:52honour, a badge, in many ways reflecting about the relationship between Mauritius, the island
05:59nation, and India.
06:01Mauritius Prime Minister Naveen Chandra Ramgoolam, who has Indian origin connections, recognising
06:07Indian PM's contributions to strengthen India-Mauritius relationship.
06:12If PM Modi starts to speak, we'll dip into that.
06:15But you can just hear the loud cheer.
06:17Look at that.
06:18People waving, cheering.
06:26Let's just listen in to what was said by the leaders of both Mauritius and India, realising
06:31that together, as this friendship between the two countries can push both nations ahead.
06:44Prime Minister, His Excellency Naveen Chandra Ramgoolamji, sisters and brothers of Mauritius,
06:58I express my heartfelt gratitude for being confirmed the highest national award of Mauritius.