Firmly backing New Delhi’s ‘neighbourhood first’ doctrine and the significant constructive role that India has played in international affairs over the past 10 years, several top leaders and distinguished guests from the region will be attending the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will take place at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday evening.
The attendance of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay, Seychelles Vice-President Ahmed Afif and a host of other leaders along with top diplomats at the landmark event will once again showcase India’s growing stature on the world stage.
Since 2014, India has given the highest priority to its like-minded and long-standing strategic partners, consolidating relationships which are based on the principles of SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region), ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and the ‘Five S’ vision of Sammaan (Respect), Samvaad (Dialogue), Sahyog (Cooperation), Shanti (Peace) and Samriddhi (Prosperity) articulated by PM Modi.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate Prime Minister Modi after the BJP-led NDA’s third straight victory in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections, was also one of the first distinguished guests to set foot in New Delhi on Saturday for the swearing-in ceremony.
Both leaders share an excellent personal rapport and have repeatedly acknowledged the significant improvements achieved in the lives of the people of both countries in the last decade.
In 2019, then Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid attended the swearing-in ceremony of PM Modi as Hasina was unable to travel in person because of a prior commitment.
However, in 2021, PM Modi chose Bangladesh for his first visit to a foreign country since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, travelling to Dhaka for a two-day visit in connection with the commemoration of three epochal events – Mujib Borsho, the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman; 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh; and 50 years of Bangladesh’s War of Liberation.
Since then, the two leaders have pledged to continue working together to further deepen the historic ties and realise their dream of having a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047 and a ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041.
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, who has termed Sunday’s swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi as a “historic event”, is also looking forward to further strengthening the close relations between the two countries during his visit.
After he was presented PM Modi’s invitation by India’s High Commissioner to Maldives Munu Mahawar on Saturday, Muizzu noted that the bilateral relations are heading in a “positive direction”, as would be demonstrated by his visit.
Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan also strongly believes that PM Modi’s third term will not only strengthen bilateral relations, but also help in strongly addressing the “multiple global and regional challenges” that confront both the nations in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Similarly, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who will be arriving in New Delhi by Sunday afternoon, has emphasised that, as the closest neighbour, the island nation is looking forward to further strengthening its partnership with India.
The BJP-NDA victory, he said on June 4, demonstrates the confidence of the Indian people in the progress and prosperity under the leadership of PM Modi.
The presence of top leadership from Nepal, Mauritius and Bhutan at the swearing-in ceremony will further cement the deep-rooted cultural and civilisational bond that India shares with these countries.
In 2019, then Nepal PM K.P. Sharma Oli, Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, Thai Agriculture Minister (special envoy of Prime Minister of Thailand) and many other leaders from the BIMSTEC grouping attended the swearing-in ceremony of PM Modi.
In 2014, when PM Modi took oath as the Prime Minister of India for the first time, leaders from the SAARC member states travelled to New Delhi to attend the oath ceremony.
In addition to participating in the swearing-in ceremony, the leaders will also attend a banquet to be hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday evening.
