President Prabowo says he has Indian DNA, highlights India's influence on Indonesian civilisation and culture

Jakarta, Jul 7 (PTI) Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday said that he has Indian DNA as he called on his people to learn from the experience of India, which has strongly influenced the civilisation and culture of the Southeast Asian nation. Speaking at an Indian diaspora event in Jakarta attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top Indonesian ministers, President Prabowo said he was honoured to be the chief guest at India's Republic Day in 2025, just three months after assuming office. Recalling that Indonesia's first President Sukarno was the chief guest at India's first Republic Day in 1950, he said that both nations have always had friendly ties. "Just before I made my state visit to India, I had a what is called a genome sequencing test. I tested my DNA and I found out I had Indian DNA," he said. "And that's why I think every time I hear some music, especially Indian music, I find my body moving," he said in a lighter note. "My ministers, my generals, they all like to dance. They all like to sing. Maybe most of them have Indian DNA," he said with a smile.  President Prabowo said he's a friend of all Indians, but he is a "great admirer" of PM Modi and copied many of his policies. "Indonesians must learn from the experience of India. Our civilisation and our culture are strongly influenced by Indian civilisation. Our language is around 50 per cent derived from Sanskrit. Many of our names are Sanskrit names. Therefore, there is this closeness, and we welcome more close cooperation," he said. Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Modi told the Indonesian leader that he is a "true friend of India." "Your statement touched the hearts of Indians. And this DNA is made of mutual trust, made of shared heritage, made of shared memories," Modi said, referring to the Indonesian President's comments that he has India's DNA in him. In his speech, President Prabowo said he had a "very good" meeting with PM Modi earlier in the day.  "We are the two out of the three largest democracies in the world. It's not an easy path...I think we agreed that it is the best system for justice, for hope, for inclusiveness," he said. "We must strive to maintain democracy."  He hailed the Indian Election Commission, saying, "We are very closely learning from them". PTI ZH ZH ZH ZH