Prabowo Highlights Centuries-Old Indonesia-India Ties Before PM Modi

President Prabowo Subianto highlighted the close relationship between Indonesia and India, which has been forged over hundreds of years through history, civilisation, and culture. He made the remarks while attending a community gathering with the Indian diaspora in Jakarta on Monday, which was also attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his speech, Prabowo stated that Indonesia has long had historical ties with India, demonstrating that the country has always studied and emulated the positive aspects of Indian culture. “In truth, our civilisation, our culture, has been greatly influenced by Indian civilisation for hundreds of years,” Prabowo said. He further explained that the influence of Indian civilisation is still felt today, evident in the Indonesian language, which has absorbed a great deal of Sanskrit vocabulary, as well as in the Sanskrit-inspired names of many Indonesians. “Our language, I believe around 50 percent, originates from Sanskrit. Many of our names are Sanskrit names. Because of this closeness, we welcome even closer cooperation,” the President stated. The Head of State noted that the closeness between Indonesia and India continued as both became modern, independent nations. As evidence, he cited Indonesia’s first president, Soekarno, who was a guest of honour at the first Republic Day celebration in India in 1950. This honour continued under Prabowo’s leadership, as he was also a guest of honour at India’s Republic Day celebration on 26 January 2025. “At that time, I had only been inaugurated as President of the Republic of Indonesia three months prior, on 20 October. I felt deeply honoured,” he explained. On the occasion, Prabowo also expressed his appreciation for the good relations that have been established between Indonesia and India. He expressed hope that the historical and cultural closeness between the two nations could serve as a foundation for strengthening strategic cooperation in various fields in the future. “Therefore, we welcome closer cooperation. Once again, thank you very much for inviting me to join you this evening,” the President concluded.