Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday, during a dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu, quipped that he has “Indian DNA”, sparking a burst of laughter among the dignitaries including the President, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Subianto made the remark while talking about his connection with India.
“A few weeks ago I had my genetic sequencing test and my DNA test and they told me that I have Indian DNA. Everybody knows when I hear Indian music, I start dancing,” he said, leaving the room in splits.
#WATCH | Delhi | “…A few weeks ago I had my genetic sequencing test and my DNA test and they told me that I have Indian DNA. Everybody knows when I hear Indian music, I start dancing…”, says Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto at the banquet hosted by President Droupadi… pic.twitter.com/N7f0EpLamZ
— ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2025
“India and Indonesia have a long, ancient history together. We have civilizational links, even now a very important part of our language comes from Sanskrit. Many names of Indonesia are actually Sanskrit names and in our daily life, the influence of ancient Indian civilization is very strong. I think it’s also part of our genetics,” the Indonesian President added.
Mr Subianto also lauded PM Modi’s leadership and commitment towards alleviating poverty and helping the marginalised while affirming that he learned a lot from him in the few days.
“I am very proud to be here (in India)…I am not a professional politician, I am not a good diplomat, I say what is in my heart. I came here for a few days but learned a lot from Prime Minister Modi’s leadership and commitments…His commitment to alleviating poverty, helping the marginalized, and helping the weakest part of your society, is an inspiration for us,” he said.
Wishing the people of India “prosperity, peace, and greatness”, Mr Subianto said he would like to see Indonesia and India continue to be close partners and friends.
Mr Subianto attended the 76th Republic Day celebrations as a Chief Guest on Sunday. He was accompanied by a high-level delegation including several ministers and senior officials of the Indonesian government and a business delegation. The event witnessed Indonesia’s Genderang Suling Canka Lokananta, a 190-member ensemble band from the Indonesian Military Academy (Akmil), that embodies discipline and military tradition.
During the Indonesian President’s three-day visit to India, the two countries signed and renewed five Memorandums of Understanding on wide-ranging fields, including health, traditional medicine, and maritime security.