Pomp and celebration at IndoTswana Day

The IndoTswana Day held this past Sunday at Gaborone Interntional Convention Centre (GICC) sprung a few pleasant suprises to the delight of patrons among them President Dr. Mokgweetsi Masisi and First Lady Mma Atsile. Besides the cultural performances and fashion show depicting the rich diversity of both India and Botswana’s cultures, the event presented a unique feature of women empowerment as it was exclusively organised and completely run by women. High Commissioner Dr Rajesh Ranjan's welcome address was basicaly to acknowledge the shared values that underpin the bilateral relations between the two countries. These include democracy, pluralism, expanding economic engagement and longstanding people to people ties, as attested by the growing numbers of Batswana visiting and studying in India and the Indian Diaspora in Botswana. He excited the audience when he revealed that India’s ongoing general elections has registered over 900 million voters and that the counting will be done in less than a day. India’s elections will be completed on May 23, 2019 while Botswana is bracing for its poll this October. The greater part of the night was dedicated to performances, eating and drinking as well as a donation handover of P111,111 to Ipelego Community Trust and sharing of experience by Mrs Jamal Ahmad, a recipient of the prestigious award Pravasi Bhartiya Divas – PBD 2019. Ahmad received the award in Varanasi U.P, India on the 21st January 2019 as a token of Indian government’s appreciation of her outstanding service in Botswana.Accompanied by her husband, Mrs Jammal Ahmad, who is the Chief Eecutive Officer of the Jamal Group of Companies told The Midweek Sun that she came to Botswana in 1971 and taught at Gaborone Secondary School before joining the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning as a Librarian and later moving to Industry of Home Affairs. She left the public service in 1981 and then started Jamal Trading Company, which would later grow into many other companies – BSS Property Investment Comoany, Nata Timber Industries, Eezze Build and Construction Works. Also patronising the India-Botswana Cultural Day were Minister Unity Dow and Chief Justice Terrence Rannowane as well as Indian business leaders among them Manhar Mooney of Room 52 and Ramachandran of Choppies retail stores. To cap the night Elmy Mabe, a Motswana woman sang a Hindi song while two Indian ladies going by the tag, Bollywood Girls performed a rendition of ‘Tsaya thobame oba bolae’, which they said was dedicated to President Masisi.