President Droupadi Murmu receives Fiji's highest civilian award
Suva (Fiji) (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu was on Tuesday conferred the Companion of the Order of Fiji, the country's highest civilian award, as she hailed the ties between the two countries and said India stands ready to partner with Fiji to build a stronger, resilient, and more prosperous nation.
"President Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere of Fiji conferred the Companion of the Order of Fiji upon President Droupadi Murmu. This is the highest civilian award of Fiji," the President's Office said in a post on X.
Murmu, who is on a two-day visit to Fiji, described the honour as "a reflection of the deep ties of friendship" between India and Fiji. This is the first visit by an Indian head of state to the archipelago nation.
President Murmu also addressed the Fijian Parliament.
"As India emerges strongly on the global stage, we stand ready to partner with Fiji, according to your priorities, to build a stronger, resilient, and more prosperous nation. Let us come together to unlock the full potential in our partnership for the mutual benefit of people of both our beloved countries," she said while addressing the Parliament.
She said that despite the vast difference in size, India and Fiji have much in common, including vibrant democracies. She recalled that almost 10 years ago, speaking in this same Hall, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had underlined some basic values that unite India and Fiji.
"These include, 'our democracy, the diversity of our societies, our creed that all human beings are equal, and our commitment to the liberty, dignity and rights of every individual'. These shared values are eternal, and shall continue to guide us ahead," she said.
"In my short time here, I can see that the rest of the world has so much to learn from Fiji. The gentle Fijian way of life, the deep-rooted respect for traditions and customs, an open and multicultural environment, makes Fiji so special in an increasingly conflict-ridden world. No wonder, Fiji is the place where the rest of the world comes to find its happiness," she said.
She said she was confident that the newly announced projects, including the Super Specialty Cardiology Hospital to be established in Suva, would help to meet the priority needs of the people of Fiji and the wider Pacific region.
Earlier, President Murmu was warmly received by President Katonivere at State House where the two leaders discussed ways to deepen the bilateral ties.
"At State House, President Droupadi Murmu also witnessed the progress of the 'Solarisation of Heads of State Residences' project, an Indian initiative, which was inaugurated in February last year," her office said in a post on X.
From Fiji, Murmu will travel to New Zealand and Timor-Leste. Her six-day three-nation visit aims to take India's Act East Policy forward, according to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.
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Duleep Trophy: Pacers shine as India B beat India A by 76 runs
Bengaluru, Sep 8: KL Rahul's gumption, which helped him pile a patient fifty, found no resonance among his colleagues as India B pacers led by Yash Dayal pushed India A to a 76-run defeat on the fourth and final day of their Duleep Trophy match here on Sunday.
Chasing 275, India A were bundled out for 198 in their second innings as left-arm seamer Dayal (3/50), with able support from his colleagues Mukesh Kumar (2/50) and Navdeep Saini (2/41), led the India B attack.
Rahul top-scored for 'A' with a 51.
In the first session of the day, India B made 184 all out in their second essay to muster a handy overall lead of 274.
The India A chase began on a shaky note as Mayank Agarwal departed in the second over itself, wafting Dayal away from his body to Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made a wonderful diving catch at second slip.
That brought Riyan Parag to the middle and the right-hander followed the path set on Saturday by Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan.
Parag took on the bowlers and pacer Mukesh bore the brunt of his aggression, getting smoked for two sixes and the second maximum touched the roof of the Chinnaswamy Stadium over the mid-wicket region.
Parag added 48 runs for the second with a rather subdued Shubman Gill, who was dropped by Nitish Reddy at slips off Mukesh on 16, and 31 came off the former's bat in just 18 balls.
But the approach was tough to sustain considering the kind of assistance the bowlers were getting here, and soon his massive hoick off Dayal took an edge off Parag's bat en route to stumper Rishabh Pant.
Gill (21) departed soon, falling to Saini for the second time in the match and on this occasion, he edged the pacer to Pant.
Dhruv Jurel poked Dayal well outside off-stump to Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully, as India batters perished to a combination of bowlers' persistence on that channel and their own carelessness.
They took the lunch at a queasy 76 for four that soon transpired into 99 for six after the dismissal of Shivam Dube and Tanush Kotian, an hour into the lunch.
However, Rahul batted out 180 minutes 121 balls and milked 42 runs for the seventh wicket with Kuldeep Yadav to delay the inevitable.
The standout shot in an otherwise dour innings was a whistling on drive off Mukesh that fetched him a boundary.
But Mukesh had his revenge soon when Rahul feathered a cut off him to Pant, who completed five catches in this innings, soon after reaching his fifty with a single off Saini.
It effectively signalled the end of the road of for India A, though Akash Deep (43, 42b, 3x4, 4x6) gave a few moments of fun with a cavalier innings.
But beyond the entertainment value, it always was a case of when more than if.
Earlier, resuming from their overnight score of 150 for six India B could only 34 runs more to the total before getting bundled out.
Pacer Akash, whom Sarfaraz Khan carted around for five fours in a row the previous day, found his mojo to add the scalps of Washington Sundar and Saini to complete a five-wicket haul (5/56).
The spell will keep his name floating among the contenders when the selectors sit together soon to pick up squad for two-match Test series against Bangladesh.
