MoS Muraleedharan will also inaugurate development projects constructed with Indian Grant assistance
Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan will participate in the commemoration of the 189th Anniversary of the arrival of Indentured Labourers in Mauritius on November 2, 2023, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday (October 31, 2023).

Mauritius is a former British and French colony that gained independence from British rule in 1968. Between 1834 and 1920, almost half a million indentured labourers arrived from India at Aapravasi Ghat to work in the sugar plantations of Mauritius. A majority of them later settled down in the country.

The first batch of these workers arrived in Mauritius on November 2, 1834. This day is now observed in Mauritius as ‘Aapravasi Diwas’.

During his official visit to Mauritius on November 1-2, 2023,  MoS Muraleedharan will also hold meetings with the Mauritian leadership and inaugurate two development projects constructed with Indian Grant assistance: the 8 MW Solar Power Plant at Henrietta and a Sports Complex, the MEA said.

Additionally, he will oversee the signing of an MOU for the joint development and launch of a satellite for Earth Observation-based applications for Mauritius. A joint commemorative postage stamp will also be released to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Mauritius.

"This visit is expected to further solidify the common cultural and historical legacy of the two countries, which forms the foundation of the special partnership between India and Mauritius," the MEA said.

INDIA'S SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH MAURITIUS

Mauritius is India’s key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). It was during his 2015 visit to Mauritius that Prime Minister Modi had outlined India's maritime cooperation vision of SAGAR - Security and Growth for All in the Region.

In May 2016, India extended a grant of USD 353 million as a Special Economic Package (SEP) to execute five priority projects, which included the Metro Express Project, Supreme Court Building, New ENT Hospital, Supply of Digital Tablets to Primary School Children, and the Social Housing Project.

During a visit to Mauritius in January 2022, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated and launched a slew of India-assisted development projects in Mauritius.

Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth jointly inaugurated the Social Housing Units Project in Mauritius. The new projects launched included a state-of-the-art Civil Service College to help in skilling government officers and the 8 Mega Watt Solar PV Farm project to mitigate the climate challenges that Mauritius faces as an island country

This was followed by a visit to India by Prime Minister Jugnauth in April 2022 during which he held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi. The two leaders discussed the ongoing development partnership and cooperation in defence as well as capacity building and people-to-people exchanges.

Meeting in New Delhi on September 8, 2023, the two leaders discussed cooperation in several areas, including infrastructure and FinTech.

"PM @KumarJugnauth and I had a very good meeting. This is a special year for India-Mauritius relations as we mark 75 years of diplomatic ties between our nations. We discussed cooperation in sectors like infrastructure, FinTech, culture and more. Also reiterated India's commitment to furthering the voice of the Global South," Prime Minister Modi wrote on X (formerly Twitter).