President of Mauritius,
His Excellency Dharambeer Gokhool ji,
Prime Minister His Excellency Navin Chandra Ramgoolam ji,
Sisters and brothers from Mauritius,
I express my heartfelt gratitude for being conferred the highest National Award of Mauritius. This is not just my honour. It is the honour of 1.4 billion Indians. It is a tribute to the centuries-old cultural and historical bonds of kinship between India and Mauritius. It is an acknowledgment of our shared commitment to regional peace, progress, security and sustainable development. And, it is a symbol of the shared hopes and aspirations of the Global South. I accept this Award with full humility and gratitude. I dedicate it to your ancestors who came from India to Mauritius centuries ago, and to all their generations. Through their hard work, they wrote a golden chapter in the development of Mauritius and contributed to its vibrant diversity. I also embrace this honour as a responsibility. I reaffirm our commitment that we will continue to make every effort to enhance India-Mauritius Strategic Partnership to greater heights.
Thank you very much.
