To commemorate 150 years since the arrival of Indians in Suriname, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu along with President Chandrikapersad Santokhi of Suriname, witnessed a grand cultural festival in Suriname's capital city Paramaribo. Suriname is a country on the northeastern coast of South America.

On June 5, 1873,  the first group of Indians touched the shores of Suriname, on board the ship Lalla Rookh and marking the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Suriname, a government release noted.

Addressing the gathering at the Independence Square in Paramaribo, the President of India said, “As a multicultural society and as a land of opportunities, Suriname has welcomed all the varied communities that came and settled there.” She appreciated the Surinamese for their dedication and commitment to unity and inclusiveness and said that at a time when Suriname is celebrating the legacy of its ancestors and its links with India, India stands with Suriname in solidarity and reverence.