President Draupadi Murmu conferred with Suriname’s highest civilian award

President Draupadi, who is on a three-day visit to Suriname, was awarded the country’s highest civilian award, the Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the President on Twitter. This special gesture from the government and people of Suriname is a symbol of the enduring friendship between our countries, he said.

President Murmu said that she was “greatly honored to receive Suriname’s highest honour”.

“This recognition means a lot not only to me but also to the 1.4 billion people of India whom I represent. I also dedicate this honor to the coming generations of the Indo-Surinamese community, who have contributed to enrich the fraternity. Has played an important role in the relations between our two countries,” the President tweeted.

Meanwhile, the President announced that the Government of India has approved the enhancement of eligibility criteria for Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card from 4th generation to 6th generation. “This will help all those whose forefathers came to Suriname on the Lalla Rukh ship for the first time to get OCI cards,” Murmu was quoted as saying by the news agency.

Murmu said, “This is my first visit to your country. There are many similarities between India and Suriname, known for their diversity… I feel like I am at home.”

Speaking on the occasion, Santokhi said, “It is still the same glorious Indian culture that we celebrate and enjoy here in Suriname. Indian cultural heritage is one of the most binding factors between our two beloved countries.”