The fourth Seychelles-India Day was launched yesterday evening at the International Conference Centre (ICCS).

The event which is held around the birthday of the founder of the Indian nation Mahatma Gandhi who was born on October 2, 1869, is this year being celebrated under the theme ‘Celebrating the friendship of two countries’.

The opening ceremony which started with the Indian traditional candle lighting included the launch of commemorative stamp which features the Hindu Temple found on Quincy Street and performances by Indian and Seychellois artists.  During the ceremony, the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange joined Indian high commissioner Sanjay Panda to announce that a monument with the bust of Mahatma Gandhi will soon be erected in Victoria.

This was in the presence of Seychelles’ first President James Mancham, designated Minister and Minister for Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports Vincent Meriton, other ministers, members of the diplomatic corps and of the National Assembly, chairperson of the Indian Association and of the Seychelles-India Day Organising Committee Ramu Pillai and a large group of members of the local Indian community.

Mr St Ange, who talked of Seychelles as a new destination for Indians, reminded of our strength as a diverse nation.

He said that we need to be proud of each of the five origins of the Seychellois people and that we should preserve them.

In this vein, he added that we must recognise the role Indians have played in building the Seychelles while they must be themselves proud to be part of this community which is part of one Seychelles.

“We need the Indian community and want to continue to work with them in close collaboration and build close partnership with India,” he said, adding that “we must ensure that the diverse culture of our country is no not only accepted, but respected”.

“Seychelles is unique because of its cultural diversity and it is important that we all live our diversity with pride because what we have is what makes us the able people we are,” Minister St Ange said.

On his part, HC Panda promised that we will get to see a part of India during the three days, with its immense diversity and which reminds us how close the sub-continent is to Seychelles.

He added that the Indian community in Seychelles is so vibrant and so colourful that it has put together a beautiful and spectacular event.

Mr Panda, who sadly announced his imminent departure from Seychelles, handed Mr Pillai with a cheque of two million Indian Rupees – approximately R400,000 – which represents  a grant from the Indian government to the local Indian community.

A range of renowned Indian artists feature as invitees for Seychelles-India Day which has from this year been elevated to the status of national event, just like the Festival Kreol or Carnaval International de Victoria. They include singer, actress and model Shibani Dandekar who was last night’s Master of Ceremony, Chef Karan Mehta, singer and philanthropist Sunidhi Chauhan and actor and singer Udit Bhushan.

The Seychellois public will have the opportunity to discover them during the activities which go on until tomorrow.

The accompanying photographs show highlights of yesterday’s official launch of Seychelles-India Day 2016.

Forrás: www.nation.sc