Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s lighthearted remark about having “Indian DNA” sparked laughter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and others at a banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu.
Subianto, the chief guest at India’s Republic Day parade, shared the amusing anecdote during a Saturday evening event at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He shared, “A few weeks ago, I underwent a genetic sequencing test, and the results revealed that I have Indian DNA.”Everyone knows when Indian music plays, I can’t resist dancing.”
His comment led to laughter throughout the room, including from Vice President Dhankhar and PM Modi. Subianto continued by discussing the strong cultural ties between Indonesia and India, highlighting the influence of Sanskrit on the Indonesian language.He mentioned, “A significant number of names in Indonesia are derived from Sanskrit, and the influence of ancient Indian civilization continues to be reflected in our everyday lives.”I believe it’s part of our genetic heritage,” he remarked.
Subianto also praised PM Modi for his leadership, especially in addressing poverty and empowering marginalized communities. He expressed his admiration for India, saying, “I’m not a professional politician or diplomat, but I speak from the heart.” Subianto further shared that his visit had offered him invaluable insights into Modi’s leadership.
Subianto becomes the fourth Indonesian president to be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations, joining the ranks of Sukarno in 1950, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2011, and Joko Widodo in 2018.