India Honoured with Prime Minister Modi Getting Many International Awards

New Delhi. From Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates, from Bahrain to Israel and the Maldives, and away from this near-neighbourhood, Russia, Japan and South Korea – with the United Nations to top them – all have honoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi with their highest civilian awards.

Of the many national honours he has received since he took office five years ago, those from the Gulf, West Asia and the Islamic nations stand out.

National awards, conferred and received, are a special part of diplomacy for the host nation and the leader conferred. Modi has repeatedly said, it is not him the individual, the honour is to the 1.3 billion people of India.

It is significant that “globe-trotting” Modi has been the first India premier to visit some of the nations, or at least the first after a long time gap. That adds significance to the awards and the nations who confer them on him.

It is special for both Modi and his honouring hosts when it comes to the large Indian Diasporas. A visiting Indian leader is a matter of pride to the millions of businessmen and workers residing in those countries and contributing their might to the host nations.

Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi being conferred with the UAE’s highest civilian award ‘Order of Zayed’ by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyanat, at Abu Dhabi, in UAE on August 24, 2019.

For the host nations, too, showing respect to an Indian prime minister and India is a way of appreciating the contributions these Diasporas make.

This year alone, Modi has been honoured by the Kings and Royalty of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE. He received “The King Hamad Order of the Renaissance” in Manama as he held talks with King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on various bilateral and regional issues.

Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi receiving the King Hamad Order of the Renaissance from the King of Bahrain, King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, at Al Gudaibiya Palace, in Manama, Bahrain on August 24, 2019.

While receiving the award PM Modi said: “It is an honour for entire India. This is a symbol of the close and friendly relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and India.”

The first Indian PM visiting Bahrain, it consolidated India’s close connect with the island state, where evidence of common heritage has been found between India’s Indus Valley civilisation and Bahrain’s Dilmun civilisation.

Just earlier in the day, Modi was also honoured with the ‘Order of Zayed’, the UAE’s highest civilian award, as a mark of appreciation for his efforts to boost bilateral ties between the two nations.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on August 24, 2019, conferred the Order of Zayed, UAE’s highest civilian award on Indian PM Narendra Modi in recognition of his “pivotal role” in strengthening ties between the two nations. The award was announced on April 4, 2019.

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan tweeted “We have historical and comprehensive strategic ties with India, reinforced by the pivotal role of my dear friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who gave these relations a big boost. In appreciation of his efforts, the UAE President grants him the Zayed Medal.”

The Zayed Medal is the highest decoration of the UAE awarded to kings, presidents and heads of states.

The honour has previously been conferred on the leaders of several countries including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Queen of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II.

India’s relations with the Islamic nations are better than ever before. PM Modi’s personal diplomatic outreach has yielded great results for India as far as the Muslim world is concerned. It has brought home substantial investment from the Gulf region, led to a rise in Haj quota in the case of Saudi Arabia and also ensured that several Indians languishing in prisons in West Asia come back home, united with their loved ones.

Modi’s diplomacy has straddled difficult dynamics that exist among the host countries. Hence, while he can count Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as his friend and India importing weapons and defence technology,  he was also conferred last year the “Grand Collar of the State of Palestine.”

The King Abdulaziz Sash Award from Saudi Arabia was conferred in April 2016, the same year Afghanistan conferred “Amir Amanullah Khan Award” in appreciation of India’s contribution to the nation-building in the conflict-hit nation that adds up to $3 billion.

Maldives in the South Asian neighbourhood has witnessed many changes. The new government of President Ebrahim Soli conferred the “Rule of Nishan Izzuddeen” in June this year.

Perhaps, Modi has scored greater success on the international award-winning front than any of his predecessors. The Russian honour of “Order of St. Andrews” conferred by President Vladimir Putin was Modi’s seventh in his five years in power.

In October last year, he received the Champions of the Earth award from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in Delhi.

Modi was on May 8, 2018, ranked among the 10 most powerful people in the world in the 2018 World’s Most Powerful People list that is topped by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Make no mistake, there’s certainly respect for India and its civilisation, its economy and growing strategic stature implicit in these awards. India wants peace, for itself, its friends and neighbours, for only then the people can prosper and enjoy the bliss of being in this world.