Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday invoked the shared India-Seychelles ties while addressing the island nation’s parliament in Victoria, referencing the “samosas, celebration of Deepavali and the Garbha dance during Navratri”.
“Our friendship did not begin 50 years ago with the establishment of our diplomatic relations. It began much earlier, in August 1770. There were five Indians among those who arrived on board the ship Thélemaque at Ste Anne Island. That voyage showed the path to many more who followed. Over time, their stories became part of the story of modern Seychelles. It reminds us that the bonds between us were not created by government. They were built by people, nurtured by families, and sustained by generations. The Indian Ocean made this possible. The Indian Ocean does not separate India and Seychelles. It connects us. That is why we meet not as strangers, but as old friends,” he told the Seychelles parliament members.
