PORT VICTORIA WELCOMES 4 INDIAN NAVY SHIPS AHEAD OF SEYCHELLES – INDIA DAY
(Posted 03rd October 2013)
As Victoria, the Seychelles’ capital city, is gearing up to their first ever Seychelles – India Day, in fact more of a weekend festival than just a day, have four Indian navy ships including a three master, arrived in Port Victoria to honour the upcoming celebrations, allowing a full day for Seychellois to come on board and be shown around the ships.
Indian navy participation in the annual Carnival International de Victoria have always been part of the display and their presence for this first ever Seychelles – India Day celebration will go a long way to cement friendship between the two people and countries. The festival, no other befitting description can be used here, is a result of close cooperation between the Indian High Commission and the Seychelles Tourism Board and Ministry of Tourism and Culture, which launched such ethnic festivals with the recent Seychelles – China celebrations.
Minister Alain St. Ange had this to say about the Seychelles – India celebrations: ‘The Seychelles-India Day Celebration is a golden opportunity to give the Indian community living in Seychelles its rightful recognition. Above all, it is a positive move for the growth of our relations with India and for Seychelles to mark through its very own calendar of events the historical link with India. Many young Seychellois today trace their family lines back to someone who arrived from India. Apart from France, Africa, and the UK, we have always known that we had in the earlier part of our nation, building settlers from India and China who have played their part to make Seychelles the multi-ethnic country we have today. This is why we needed to be true and fair to ourselves as a nation to include a Seychelles-India Day Celebrations on our annual list of events. The Seychelles-India Day Celebrations is not only targeting the Indian community living in Seychelles, but also the people of Seychelles as a whole. We should come out in force to support this event and make Seychelles proud ’.
‘Bollywood’ celebrities from India are expected to come to Victoria for the event to boost the popularity of the festival and provide the flair needed to make it a success. A series of Indian films will be shown in the cinemas of Victoria while media teams from India too are on the island on invitation of the Seychelles Tourism Board. They will no doubt on their return home tell Indian travellers of the beauty of the islands and the warm welcome they can expect, without the need of Visa’s of course as is customary for the Seychelles with their open door policy. In addition will a top rated chef celebrate his culinary art during the festival in Victoria, no doubt setting the taste buds of diners alight. Once again, Seychelles, Another World.
