President Droupadi Murmu Receives Suriname’s Highest Civilian Award

On June 5 2023, Indian President Droupadi Murmu was conferred with the Grand Order of the Chain of Yellow Star, which is the highest civilian award of the Republic of Suriname, South America. With this achievement, she became the first Indian to ever receive this award. The award was presented to her by the President of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, at a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Paramaribo.

In her acceptance speech, Droupadi Murmu dedicated the award to the people of India and its successive generations. Four significant pacts were signed between India and Suriname, including Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in the fields of agriculture, health and capacity building. 

The occasion was celebrated  with a cultural festival as on June 5, Suriname completed 150 years of the arrival of Indians in the country. To commemorate this event, Droupadi Murmu addressed the crowd at the Independence Square in Paramaribo and briefed them about the history of the first Indians who arrived in Suriname in a ship called Lalla Rookh. The President also announced that the Indian Government had decided to extend the eligibility criteria for the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards to benefit the interests of the Indians residing in Suriname.