Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a grand welcome at the airport during his two-day visit to Mauritius. Prime Minister of Mauritius, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, personally welcomed him, alongside the entire cabinet, opposition leaders, and over 200 dignitaries, including judges.
Various programs were organized throughout Mauritius to welcome PM Modi, showing the enthusiasm of the Indian-origin populace. A viral video on social media highlights Prime Minister Modi being welcomed in traditional Bihari style. During this, PM Modi was greeted with traditional Bhojpuri 'Geet Gawai'. Women sang 'Blessed is our nation, Modi Ji has arrived...'
What is Geet Gawai?
Geet Gawai is an epitome of cultural heritage brought to Mauritius by women from the Bhojpuri region of Bihar. Its cultural importance was recognized in December 2016 when it was included in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
PM Modi on a Two-Day Visit
During this visit, starting Tuesday, PM Modi plans to inaugurate over 20 Indian-made projects, including capacity-building and community-based infrastructure projects. He, alongside his Mauritian counterpart Navinchandra Ramgoolam, will inaugurate the Civil Services College building, which was completed at a cost of approximately $4.75 million. A memorandum of understanding for this project was signed in 2017.
Statement by PM Modi
On Monday, before his travel to Mauritius, Prime Minister Modi stated that this visit would open 'a new and bright' chapter between the two nations. Mauritius's Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramphul mentioned to news agency PTI that during PM Modi's visit on March 12, a memorandum of understanding on a line of credit will be signed. In 2016, India granted Mauritius a special economic package of $353 million, which included the Metro Express project, Supreme Court building, new ENT hospital, social housing project, and digital tablets for school children.
The Deep Ties Between Mauritius and India
Mauritius is one of the smallest nations in the African Continent, with a population of 1.2 million, about 70 percent of whom are of Indian origin. Before this journey, PM Modi had already visited Mauritius once. He attended the National Day celebrations in March 2015.
