Dominica bestows highest national award upon Indian PM Narendra Modi

Roseau, Dominica: The Commonwealth of Dominica bestowed its highest national award, “Dominica National Award of Honour” upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi today at the historic India-CARICOM Summit 2024, making him the first leader from India to receive the honour.  

The award was presented by President of Dominica, Sylvanie Burton in recognition of his role and contribution in safeguarding lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. The award symbolizes the sense of gratitude of people and the government of Dominica towards India and PM Modi for their selfless assistance and collaboration.  

Upon receiving the award, PM Narendra Modi expressed his gratitude to Dominica, President Burton and Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit for the honour. He also lauded Dominica’s leadership in preserving the environment and vowed to further deepen the ties between two nations through potential collaborations.  

He highlighted the critical need for collective action against climate change and said that Dominica has turned out to be an example of resilience for the world. 

Award Ceremony 

The award ceremony was started with the arrival of PM Narendra Modi, PM Dr Roosevelt Skerrit and President Burton at Marriot Hotel, Georgetown. The leaders greeted each other and the national anthems of both countries have been played in the summit. 

The ceremony was attended five heads of the CARICOM governments including Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Saint Lucian Prime Minister Philip J Pierre, Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Motley and Guyana President Dr Irfaan Ali. 

The salutations and greetings have been offered by master of ceremony to the leaders for marking their presence in historic second edition of the India-CARICOM summit. Further, PM Skerrit delivered speech where he talked about India-Dominica collaboration and the significance of the award being presented to PM Modi. 

It was followed by conferring of the Dominica Award of Honour on PM Modi after which he also extended remarks at the gathering. The award ceremony have been culminated with the departure of President Burton, making delegation of Dominica to commence bilateral meeting with delegation of India. 

Prime Minister Skerrit appreciates PM Modi's advocacy for upliting humanity

During the award ceremony, PM Skerrit recalled the tough times of COVID pandemic in 2021 when India has made generous donation to Dominica. He called it singular act of solidarity echoed the essence of global partnership and South-South Collaboration. 

He further lauded the strides made by India under the leadership of PM Modi and noted that his visionary approach led the country achieved all such milestones in healthcare, capacity-building, information technology and infrastructure. 

PM Skerrit appreciated the initiatives such as International Solar Alliance which has championed renewable energy and pave the path of the sustainable future for smaller countries. He noted the advocacy of PM Modi for climate finance justice and added, "This has given voice to nations vulnerable to wrath of climate change." 

Talking about the award, the head of Dominica cited that the honour reflects the shared value that had united Dominica and India over the years. It has also marked the commitment of Dominica towards democracy, resilience and significance of the unity, so the award is out of the sense of gratitude. 

The award signifies that the world owes PM Modi a debt of gratitude for his tireless efforts to uplift humanity, as per the Prime Minister. 

What is Dominica Award of Honour 

Dominica Award of Honour is the highest national award of the country which is given to distinguished individuals for their contribution in making lasting impact on the society. The person could be from Dominica or any other country but linked to the country and has played any role in benefiting the interest of the country, then the award is being presented to honour his/her capabilities.  

Established in 1967, the award is conferred by President of Commonwealth of Dominica with proper honour and recognition. The award is made of metal and is in an oval shape, possessing green colour with rings of medallion in the middle. The centre of the medallion features the Coats of arms of Dominica and area around it is cut out, consisting of a hang from a yellow ribbon and a centre stripe.  

It is also known as Sisserou Award of Honour, signifying the cultural heritage and the natural beauty of Dominica.  

The stripe is black coloured while the outer area of the ribbon is white coloured, making it a significant badge for honouring outstanding personalities for their roles in society building. So far, 37 individuals have been honoured with the highest award of honour including their “Triple Jump Queen” Thea Lafond who won the first-ever Olympic medal for Dominica in Paris where she secured Gold.  

Why did PM Narendra Modi receive the Dominica Award of Honour 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has played a crucial role in providing vaccines to Dominica and the wider Caribbean during health crises of COVID-19 pandemic. The country received the shipment of over 70,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines that have saved the lives in the small island nations.  

With these doses, Dominica did not only manage to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic but also helped other neighbouring countries while donating vaccines. 

In addition to that, Indian Prime Minister Modi has made timely efforts in supporting the small island nation through healthcare advancements, education and information technology. Even, the resilience approach and the climate change initiatives of Dominica have also been strongly aided by PM Modi.  

The award will also mark the friendly ties between Dominica and India and further strengthen their cooperation on concerning matters of small island states. It is significant for countries in maintaining their relations that have been established in 1981.  

Dominica-India relations 

As Dominica is a small island nation in the Caribbean region, it shares deep and strong relations with India due to such initiatives and assistances. Prime Minister Narendra Modi always appreciated Dominica for its leadership and efforts in enhancing climate resilience on several global stages.  

Even when Dominica was hard hit by natural calamities such as Tropical Storm Erika and Hurricane Maria, India was one of the first countries to offer financial support. Currently, both countries have good relations in the trade and business sector.  

Notably, a total of 500 people of Indian origin are living in Dominica who also serve in several professions including health and education.  

Trades relations: According to reports, around US$2 to 3 million in trades have been shared between India and Dominica in which the former exported US$2.54 million and imported US$0.50 million. The products including vehicles, ceramics, pharmaceutical, and iron and steel were exported by India to Dominica.  

Cultural Relations: Dominica and India have also supported each other in their cultural demographics during different times. In May 2012, a nine-member Percussion Group called “Drums of India” had visited Dominica to participate in the “Dominica Festival of Arts, DOMFESTA”. The group was then led by Jaya Bhaskar Pervali from India, and they also attended the Night of the Classics as honorary guests.  

On June 16, 2024, a wide population of the Indian diaspora participated in the first-ever in-person International Day of Yoga (IDY) by Dominica. It was hosted in Kalinago Barana Aute where the government officials from India arrived and lauded the country for their role in promoting health.  

On the margins of the yoga event, a culture and community event were also organized by the government of Dominica to enhance their interaction with Indian diaspora. It was hosted in Goodwill Parish Hall, Roseau on June 15, 2024.  

Diplomatic relations: Several agreements have been signed between Dominica and India for fostering bilateral relations. The government of India has also provided its approval to e-tourist visa for the citizens of Dominica with an agreement of visa-free arrival for diplomats and officials in each other’s countries.  

PM Roosevelt Skerrit’s visit to India 

Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit also visited India in October 2024 where he met with several Indian diplomatic officials and discuss ways of enhancing bilateral ties. He interacted with Pabitra Marghertia, a Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles where both leaders have exchanged the flags of their countries.  

India-CARICOM Summit 

The second edition of the India-CARICOM Summit opened in Guyana today with the special welcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Georgetown. Indian diaspora gathered and greeted PM Modi while holding Indian flags and chanting “Modi, Modi.”  

In addition to that, authorities including President Dr Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Anthony Mark Phillipe of Guyana extended greetings to PM Modi at the airport. Military forces and students from Guyana also offered floral welcome to PM Modi, highlighting the hospitality of the Caribbean region.  

PM Modi who is on three-day visit to Guyana extended gratitude to the region at the opening ceremony and said that the country will work for enhancing their multilateral ties. He referred to his visit as a “significant milestone” and recalled the longstanding ties between the two nations. 

PM Modi talked about the shared goals of development and said that there is a need for climate justice for small island nations. He also shed light on the significance of dialogue and diplomacy and noted that these two are the key factors in resolving all the matters and pressing issues in the world.    

Significance of Summit for Small Island States 

The summit is designed to benefit small island states with the advanced techniques used by India in producing their goods and empowering their locals. It will shed light on the goals of both the continents in fostering agriculture where CARICOM states will also outline their achievement in the 25 by 25 agenda.  

Technology and culture sharing will also be promoted during the discussions at the summit where CARICOM leaders will talk about the ideas used by India in advancing its nation towards growth.