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two countries, corporates as well as consumers. India is currently one of the largest trade partners for Mauritius. Of the total imports, agriculture and manufacturing sector account for 50-60% of imports into Mauritius. Another oftrepeated fact is that Mauritius is considered a tax haven for Global Inc., often becoming an issue of hot debate. India has a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement with about 65 countries like the US, UK, Japan, France, and Germany, but it is Mauritius which is the most preferred route for FDI inflows. On the domestic economic front, Mauritius has grown on an average of 5 to 6 per cent over the last decade, quite a robust economic performance for a small island country, helped in no small measure by its remarkable sugar and textile industries and of course, its enviable tourism sector, of which paeans can be penned. But it is not mere economics and trade that define ties between India and Mauritius. Nurtured over a few centuries by migration and truly eclectic cultural cross-assimilation, it would be no exaggeration if one were to state that it is mutual ties between countries like India and Mauritius that have the real wherewithal to lead the way in showing history and humankind that pluralism is a workable proposition and a surer benchmark of global security. It needs no repetition that the much-touted pluralism is under threat from forces hostile to peaceful coexistence and harmonious relationships within societies. During his last visit to Mauritius, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh aptly paid tributes to the memory of Sir Seewosagur Ramgoolam, calling him a visionary statesman, who embodied the best values of a global citizen. Incidentally, Sir Ramgoolam is also known as the Father of the Mauritian nation and a cherished friend of India and his legacy is still clearly discernible in the bonds that unite the peoples of both countries. The political legacy of Sir Seewosagur Ramgoolam lies in his role as the founder of a unique experiment in democratic governance and institution building in a society marked by exceptional diversity, overween-
Mauritius ranks among the top three countries that are a source of FDI inflows into India (in 2007-08, Mauritius accounted for 44% of the total inflows into India. PRAVASI TODAY | MARCH 2010
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