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150 YEARS OF ARRIVAL OF INDIANS IN SURINAME

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The President of India and the President of Suriname attended the cultural celebration in Paramaribo to mark the 150th anniversary of Indian immigration to Suriname.

Historical background:

  • On June 5, 1873, the Lalla Rookh, a ship carrying 452 Indian labourers, docked in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname.
  • The majority of the labourers were from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Important Outcomes of the Event

  • India extended the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card to the sixth generation of Indian immigrants in Suriname.
    • OCI: It is defined by the Ministry of Home Affairs as someone who:
      • Was a citizen of India on or after 26th January 1950; or
      • Was eligible to become a citizen of India on 26th January 1950; or
      • Is a child or grandchild of such a person, among other eligibility criteria.
    • A candidate is ineligible for the OCI card under Section 7A of the rules if he, his parents, or his grandparents have ever held the citizenship of Pakistan or Bangladesh.
    • The government established the category in 2005.
    • The Government of India via Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2015 merged the Person of Indian Origin (PIO) category with OCI category in 2015.
  • The President of India received the “Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star,” Suriname’s highest civil honour.
  • The President of India visited:
    • Baba and Mai monument
      • It is a symbolic representation of the first Indian man and woman, who first set foot in Suriname.
    • Mama Sranan monument.
      • It represents Mama Sranan, the Mother of Suriname holding her five children, the five ethnicities that inhabit Suriname with care and affection.
  • India organised the Voice of South Summit in January 2023, to provide developing nations and the Global South a stronger voice on problems that concern them.
    • Suriname was involved in this project.

India-Suriname relations:

  • Since the entrance of the Indian Diaspora in Suriname 150 years ago, there have been strong cultural and interpersonal ties between India and Suriname.
  • The two countries’ diplomatic ties were established in 1976.
  • The Surinamese Embassy in New Delhi opened in 2000, and the Indian Embassy in Paramaribo opened its doors in 1977.
  • In Suriname, the Indian Cultural Centre was established in 1978 and has since promoted classical music, yoga, Kathak, and Hindi language.
  • The Suriname Hindi Parishad is given a yearly funding from India to promote Hindi in Suriname.
  • The Indian diaspora today makes up 27% of Suriname’s 5.68 lakh people.
  • Suriname holds the title of being the most well-known foreign nation in the world for its support of the Hindi language.
  • For Suriname, the electronic travel authorization system (eTVA) has been put into place, and vice versa.
  • The MoU on the waiver of visa requirements for holders of official and diplomatic passports has been put into effect by both India and Suriname.