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Message by the High Commissioner of India H.E. Mr Sanjay Panda |26 January 2016

India and Seychelles, models of ‘unity in diversity’

 

On the occasion of the 67th Republic Day of India, I convey my greetings and best wishes to all Indian nationals, Seychellois of Indian origin and all friends of India in Seychelles.

It was on the 26th day of November 1949 that the newly adopted Constitution of India proclaimed India a Republic, and exactly two months later on the 26th day of January 1950 the country celebrated its first Republic Day. On this special day, 1.3 billion Indians in India and over 30 million Indian diaspora the world over pay tributes to the founding fathers of the Indian Constitution who echoed the sentiments of every Indian in declaring “We the people of India having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Democratic Republic……”.

On this day we salute the visionaries who conceived of an India that respects human values and democratic ideals while moving on the path of progress and prosperity.

It is befitting that today we remember the principal architect of our Constitution, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, whose birth centenary we celebrate this year. As chairman of India’s Constituent Assembly that drafted this historic document, Dr Ambedkar ensured that alongside political freedom and rule of law, the infant democracy should ensure socio-economic equality across all strata of society. By enshrining Gandhian values in the Constitution, he ensured that these ideals remain embedded through generations as India surges ahead towards democracy and pluralism.

On the 66th anniversary of our Republic Day, it is now time to introspect whether we have attained what visionaries like Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Ambedkar dreamt for India and the Indians. On a candid note, we are moving in the right direction but still not quite there. Looking back, the world’s largest democracy has not been completely immune to the environment of hatred and violence that the world and the humanity at large confront today.

The scourge of terrorism continues to threaten the philosophy of peaceful coexistence that Mahatma Gandhi espoused and practised throughout his living years as part of his twin doctrine of Truth and Non-violence. But for a resilient India, there is light at the end of the tunnel. For a young country in its 60s, it is left to the young Indians under the age of 25, who comprise more than half the total population, to lead us to our destination.

There is also a bright ray of hope from the global Indians, particularly the youth, who are progressively reaching out to their country of origin. It is equally a matter of immense pride that the world is now seriously looking towards India and embracing Gandhian values in search for world peace and universal brotherhood.  

 

Close ties of friendship with Seychelles

 

We in India are proud of our close ties of friendship with the Republic of Seychelles that has stood the test of time. We embarked on the journey together when Seychelles was born as a sovereign nation four decades ago. Our traditional linkages have now culminated into a mutually beneficial relationship based on shared values and commitment to the ideals of democracy and development. We have withstood several global challenges together, ranging from the threat of climate change to the piracy menace in recent years. Notwithstanding the turbulent waters, our partnership has had a smooth sailing. And, the pinnacle of our close ties of friendship was attained during the year that we bid adieu barely four weeks ago.

2015 has indeed been a special year in our bilateral calendar. The visit of our Prime Minister to Seychelles in March, the first prime ministerial visit from India in 34 years, and the subsequent State visit by President James Michel to India in August reflect the depth and substance in our bilateral engagement. The positive outcome of both visits has not only helped further deepen India-Seychelles relations but also taken our partnership to the next level.

Our strategic convergence in the Indian Ocean region has manifested itself in an elaborate architecture of bilateral defence and security cooperation that we have developed over the years. As two maritime neighbours, we have a stake in each other’s security and safety. Located in a strategically sensitive region, augmenting our defence preparedness assumes particular significance now than ever before with several non-traditional threats perpetrated by non-State actors looming in the horizon. Although the piracy menace is seemingly on the wane, it could well be a temporary calm before the storm as the likelihood of their regrouping in the near future cannot be ruled out. Moreover, there has been an increasing threat from the equally dangerous economic offenders, with instances of illegal fishing, poaching and drug trafficking in the resource rich waters around us on the rise. Seychelles with its exclusive economic zone spread over 1.3 million square kilometres is particularly vulnerable. Hence, it is important to ensure that we do not to let our guard down. Recognising this, India and Seychelles have drawn up a cooperation agenda that covers within its purview enhanced EEZ surveillance and monitoring, besides launching operations to prevent intrusions and act against potential economic offenders. 

It is in this context that the gifting of the fast interceptor boat PS Hermes to the government of Seychelles last week assumes significance. We were honoured by the presence of President Michel and our Coast Guard Chief Admiral HCS Bisht at the elaborate ceremony to mark the handing over of the boat. It was a proud moment for our two countries, and I have no doubt like her sisters Topaz and Constant, PS Hermes will serve Seychelles in securing her waters and the EEZ.

The induction of PS Hermes into the Seychelles Coast Guard fleet marks a useful addition to its existing asset.  With speeds reaching up to 45 knots, the interceptor boat can effectively confront and counter any low intensity threat scenario, keeping the adversaries engaged before supplementary aerial and maritime support comes in. Such indigenously built fast-moving crafts have been successfully deployed by the Indian Coast Guard to safeguard India’s long coastline and extensive EEZ, and its induction will no doubt go a long way in augmenting the operational capability of the Seychelles Coast Guard. PS Hermes will also indirectly contribute to the Blue Economy by supporting the sustainable development of the island nation’s marine resources.

In recent months, our two countries have made considerable progress in our ongoing defence cooperation projects and those in the pipeline. After the launch of the Coastal Surveillance Radar System project by the Prime Minister of India during his visit to Seychelles in March last year, the implementation is firmly on schedule and all the six radars are expected to be fully operational by March 2016. A new landmark in our bilateral ties is the memorandum of understanding signed last year on hydrographic cooperation, in pursuance of which extensive surveys were recently carried out in the areas adjoining Port Victoria and the navigational charts are in the process of being produced for commercial use by the government of Seychelles.

We look forward to the participation of Seychelles in the International Fleet Review (IFR 2016) to be held off the Eastern Coastal city of Vishakhapatnam in the first week of February. Arrangements have also been firmed up for the India-Seychelles Joint Military Exercises ‘Lamitye 7’ to be conducted in Mahé from February 15-27.

Following the exchange of visits at the highest level in 2015, our two countries have put in motion efforts to diversify our bilateral engagement across a broad spectrum, focusing in particular on enhanced economic content in the relations, trade and investment, and people-to-people contacts. The signing of agreements for cooperation in the fields of renewable energy, agriculture, tax information exchange, air services and Blue Economy reflects the large canvas on which our bilateral relations have evolved over the years. Following the launch of direct air connectivity between our two countries, the introduction of gratis visa for Seychelles nationals to travel to India for a period of up to 90 days and the recent electronic visa-on-arrival scheme provides the perfect platform to upgrade our bilateral economic engagement, including trade and investment, besides providing a new impetus to tourism exchanges.

 

Cooperation

Recent cooperation between our two countries in the field of capacity building and human resource development has been exemplary.  Training programmes organised in India under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) scheme have been availed of in Seychelles in large numbers. With over a thousand ITEC alumni in Seychelles, it is remarkable that it accounts for more than 1% of the country’s population, a record in percentage terms.

Our development partnership has also manifested itself in other areas. Seychelles has been a significant beneficiary of the lines of credit and grants offered by the government of India over the years. In February, 34 new TATA buses will join the fleet of the Seychelles Public Transport Corporation funded by an Indian grant.

A remarkable similarity between India and Seychelles is the unity in diversity and the cultural synthesis, represented by the peaceful coexistence of different communities.  The enthusiasm with which Seychelles participated in the 3rd Seychelles India Day and the Festival of India ‘IndiaFest 2015’ speaks volumes of the depth and appreciation of Indian culture in this country. I compliment the Seychellois Indian community for being an important part of this cultural melting pot.   

In recent years, India-Seychelles relations have gone much beyond the bilateral as the two countries have pledged support for each other in the international and multilateral fora. We commend Seychelles’ Blue Economy initiative, its leadership role among the small island developing states, and appreciate its contribution to the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) initiatives and projects. I also take the opportunity to congratulate Seychelles on assuming the Chair of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) and we are happy to co-host the first Strategy Meeting of the CGPCS in Mumbai on February 1.

Finally, I would like to congratulate Seychelles for smooth conduct of the recent Presidential elections and the people for participating in this exercise in such large numbers, which reinforces the democratic credentials of the island nation.   

As India and Seychelles look forward to a great 2016 and beyond, I convey on this Republic Day my best wishes to all my Seychellois friends and fellow countrymen in Seychelles.

     

 

 

 

 

 

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