During a recent community event in Jakarta attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto made lighthearted remarks suggesting a genetic link between his ministers and India. President Subianto quipped that the enthusiasm his cabinet members and generals show for Bollywood music and dance might indicate they possess "Indian DNA."
"My ministers, my generals, they all like to dance, they all like to sing. Maybe most of them have Indian DNA. Most of my ministers, they sing Indian songs very well," President Subianto stated, eliciting smiles during the diplomatic engagement.
Praise for India's Democracy
Beyond the cultural observations, President Subianto also expressed deep admiration for India's robust democratic institutions. He highlighted Indonesia's keen interest in studying India's electoral processes, noting the remarkable achievement of peaceful transitions of government in a country with 1.4 billion people, diverse ethnic groups, and numerous regional languages.
"We are very closely learning from the Election Commission of India, and frankly, we see India, a country of 1.4 billion people. Many ethnic groups like us, many different regional languages, but managing so many years of peaceful transition of government in many states and in the union of India itself. This is a remarkable achievement. I am also studying this and following the remarkable achievements of India," he added.
Previous 'Indian Roots' Remarks
This is not the first instance where President Subianto has publicly referenced India's profound influence on Indonesian culture and language, or even a personal genetic connection. During a previous visit to India as the chief guest for the 76th Republic Day celebrations, he spoke about centuries-old civilizational ties, emphasizing how Sanskrit continues to shape the Indonesian language and many names within the country.
He also revealed at that time that a genetic sequencing test he undertook had confirmed he carried Indian ancestry, stating, "I would like to report to the president, prime minister, vice-president -- a few weeks ago, I had my genetic sequencing test and my DNA test, and they tell me that I have Indian DNA."