India & Mauritius: Oceanic Partners

• published: 11 Mar 2015
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Magical, Magnificent and out of this world. In this picturesque Indian Ocean island, the sea and the sun spin a magic web, attracting honeymooners and tourists in millions. And yes, the spirit and sounds of India are resonant all over this country. The intimate ties between India and Mauritius are reflected in the National Day of Mauritius on March 12, which celebrates the launch of the salt satyagraha by Mahatma Gandhi 85 years ago. This year, Mauritius will have a special guest on its National Day: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This will be Mr Modi’s first trip to the strategically located island nation and will focus on a host of interlinked issues, including trade and investment, anti-piracy operations, maritime security and the joint development of blue economy. Mauritius’ importance in the new India government’s foreign policy was more than clear as Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam was the only non-SAARC leader to be invited for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi in May 2014. Mr Modi’s maiden visit to the island nation will underscore close ties with Mauritius, where 68% of the 1.296 million people are people of Indian Origin. It all started on November 2, 1834 when the first batch of Indian labourers arrived in the island country to work on sugar plantations. Mauritius now celebrates November 2 every year as the ‘Apravasi divas.’ Over the years, India’s relations with Mauritius have diversified to include just about every area, with business bonding becoming stronger by the day. India is Mauritius’ largest trading partner. And Mauritius has been the single largest source of FDI into India. Development partnership is growing, with India extending several lines of credit to Mauritius for infrastructure, skills development and capacity building. Some prominent Indian-assisted projects in Mauritius include the Cyber Tower, the Swami Vivekananda International Conference Centre (SVICC), and Mahatma Gandhi Institute. Call it cultural alchemy, if you like. The Mahatma Gandhi Institute and the Rabindranath Tagore institute in Mauritius are beacons of Indian culture and deep spiritual connections between the two countries. India is the preferred destination for thousands of Mauritian students dreaming of better prospects in life. From Indian languages like Hindi and Bhojpuri to Hindustani Music, Kathak, Tabla and Yoga, Indians and Mauritians know how to speak, sing and dance together. With such organic cultural links and a convergence of strategic and business interests, the relations between India and Mauritius can only become stronger and deeper in days to come.