Former Vice President Mr. Abdool Raouf Bundhun,

Mr. Dawood Auleear, President of Alif Society

Most Reverend Bishop,

Her Excellency Ms. Rezina Ahmed, High Commissioner of Bangladesh

Mr. Marday Venkatasamy, President of Mauritius Chamber of Commerce & Industry,

Good evening everyone,

I am honored to be here with all of you in this very distinguished company. I am thankful to the Alif Society for their kind invitation and this gesture towards the High Commission of India in Mauritius.

The excellent work carried out by Alif Society at building partnerships and helping the needy not only in Mauritius but in other countries is indeed commendable. Such efforts are a source of great strength to what Government authorities can achieve.

India and Mauritius, both are fortunate to be very diverse societies. We draw their strength from this wonderful diversity of ethnicities, cultures, faiths. This diversity enriches our societies with creativity and a range of ideas and perspectives. This makes our societies vibrant and resilient.

You spoke about India in your remarks. I may add that India represents one-sixth of humanity. It is an ancient civilization and a young nation that is the world’s largest democracy. Despite many challenges, we resolve our problems through democracy and are now making rapid economic progress.

I arrived in Mauritius earlier this year and I am deeply honored to have been given this opportunity to serve here since our countries enjoy such a unique relationship. This unique bond is built upon the longstanding ties between our peoples. We in India are fortunate to call so many leaders and the people of this beautiful country as our own Overseas Citizens. We are proud to be partners in the development story of Mauritius.

Hon’ble Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth was the Chief Guest at the very special Pravasi Bhartiya Divas events celebrated in India earlier this year. Hon’ble Prime Minister was also among our esteemed guests at the swearing in ceremony of our new Government last month.

The sincere efforts made by the people of Mauritius to sustain their heritage and draw inspiration from their roots are impressive and commendable. The harmony among the peoples and communities of this rainbow nation is exemplary. The Alif Society has an important role in contributing to this.

I once again thank you for this warm gesture and offer High Commission of India’s continuing support to the Alif Society in their noble actions going forward.

Thank you.