H.E. Mr Chandrikapersad Santokhi

President of the Republic of Suriname

H.E. Mr Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname, responded to questions from India Empire magazine’s Editor and Publisher Sayantan Chakravarty on diverse subjects—ranging from using Sanskrit verses during his swearing-in ceremony as Head of the Republic in July 2020 to the role of the Indo-Surinamese diaspora in future engagements with India and the rest of the world. His message to the people of India and to the Government is that Suriname, like India, shares the common goals of advancing peace, security and stability and respects democracy in the entire world

Your swearing-in ceremony rightly caught the attention of the world, especially that of Indian Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi. By using the Sanskrit verses you were igniting India and Suriname’s historical ties and ancestral relations. What are your own views on this?

I am pleased and humbled that the swearing-in ceremonies on 16 July 2020 as President of Suriname attracted such global attention. The upbringing by my parents, especially my mother, laid the foundation of my spiritual life and the awareness of my heritage. As a spiritual person - trusting the power of my faith - believing in the Good of the Universe has always inspired my political and personal life. Using Sanskrit verses has always been part of special ceremonies in both my personal life and at my previous (elected) functions, as a parliamentarian and Minister of Justice. I wish to also emphasize that not only the Hindu verses, but verses from other religions were recited as well during my swearing-in ceremony.