New Delhi, 06 June (Hindustan Times). President Draupadi Murmu along with Suriname President Chandrikaprasad Santokhi attended a cultural celebration in Paramaribo last evening (June 5) to mark 150 years of the arrival of Indians in Suriname. Speaking on the occasion, he announced the decision of the Government of India to increase the eligibility criteria for OCI cards from 4th generation to 6th generation.
Addressing the gathering at Independence Square in Paramaribo, the President said that on this day in the year 1873, the first group of Indians reached the shores of Suriname on the ship Lalla Rukh, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the history of this country.
The President said that Suriname, as a multicultural society and a land of opportunities, has welcomed all the diverse communities that have immigrated there. During these years the diverse communities grew into one family and one country. He commended the people of Suriname for their dedication and commitment to unity and inclusiveness. He said that over the last 150 years, the Indian community has not only become an integral part of the society in Suriname, but is also an important pillar of the deepening partnership between India and Suriname.
He announced the decision of the Government of India to extend the eligibility criteria for OCI card from the 4th generation to the 6th generation of those original Indian immigrants who came to Suriname from Indian territories. He said that the OCI card can be seen as an important link in their 150-year-old relationship with India. He urged the members of the Indian diaspora to continue their efforts to maintain their ties with India. He said that India-Suriname bilateral relations are based on shared aspirations for development.
President Murmu was awarded the ‘Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star’, Suriname’s highest civilian honour, by the President of Suriname at a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace. In his acceptance remarks, the President thanked President Santokhi and the Government of Suriname for conferring this honor on him. He said that this recognition is of immense importance not only to him but also to the over 1.4 billion people of India. He paid tribute to the successive generations of the Indian-Surinamese community who have played a vital role in enriching the fraternal ties between the two countries.
The President also attended a banquet hosted in his honor by the President of Suriname. During this, President Murmu outlined India’s vision of an inclusive world order that is sensitive to the legitimate interests and concerns of every country and region. He said that it is in this spirit of solidarity that India has extended a helping hand to more than 100 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
