When PranabDa lost cool

President Mukherjee’s Mauritius diaries

GN Bureau | March 15, 2013



Union minster of state for home RPN Singh was the minister in waiting for president Pranab Mukherjee during his recent Mauritius visit. Singh told the president that the stay in Port Louis should have been for 3-4 days as it is a strategic location. Pranab Mukherjee said that he was invited by the host country to be the chief guest for its 45th Independence Day celebrations and once it was over he would leave but for the bilateral agreements ceremony the following day. Singh concern was the 8-hour travel from New Delhi to Port Louis. The president’s daughter, Sharmistha Mukherjee, intervened to say something but the president got angry and said it was his principle to leave the venue as soon as the business got over.

Don’t malign us: Mauritian PM
When a newsman asked Mauritius prime minister Navin Chandra Ramgoolam if he felt that Mauritius was being maligned as a tax haven, he said ‘yes’. “Do not malign this great country as tax haven. We are the best administered and structured administration. We are also very transparent. We would never allow the financial markets to misuse our innocence,” he said.

Veena Ramgoolam, a belly dancer
Veena Ramgoolam, the wife of Mauritius prime minister NC Ramgoolam is a known belly dancer. And she conveyed this to the visiting Indian delegation that impressed not only senior members of the delegates but also Sharmistha Mukherjee, who is herself a Kathakali dancer.

Comments

 

Other News

Development paradox: Falling poverty miracle and an inequality problem

India’s reduction in poverty over the past decade is a development achievement of considerable significance. The World Bank’s April 2026 ‘India Development Update’ estimates that the share of Indians living below the international extreme-poverty line of $3.00 per person per day i

In Arunachal, a river we call mother

In Arunachal Pradesh, the Siang is not just a river. For many of us, especially the Adi people, it is part of our family. Our grandparents fished in it. Children learned to swim in it. Our farms drink from it. When someone says a huge dam will be built on it, we do not hear the word "project".

A new retelling of the Mahabharata delves into key moments

In a time when every decision carries consequences and questions of ambition, power, loyalty, identity and moral choice continue to shape our lives, Dr. Arun Krishnan’s new book, ‘Mahakshana’ (Penguin India) offers a strikingly relevant retelling of the Mahabharata.  

Cabinet approves viability gap funding to develop grid-scale energy storage systems

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Development of Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems, with a total financial support of Rs.14,500 crore for the period FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. The scheme aims to support the development o

Cabinet creates a pathway to absorb Agniveers in Defence Forces

An objective assessment in terms of organisational requirements and operational efficiency has brought out the outstanding performance of Agniveers in terms of skills, motivation levels, physical fitness and technological prowess. As envisaged earlier, based on merit, 25% of Agniveers will be offered reg

Modi inaugurates, lays foundation stone of Pune Metro projects

Prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for Pune Metro projects worth around ₹21,800 crore on Tuesday through video conferencing. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the PM extended warm Diwali greetings to the people of Pune and Maharashtra and remarked that f

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter