Mumbai: Nidhi Vasandani, an ex-journalist and popular news anchor, runs The Nidhi Vasandani Show on YouTube, where she breaks down geopolitics, national security, and the stories behind the headlines for a wide Indian audience. In a recent episode, she unpacked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Seychelles matters far more than it appears on the surface.
She opened with a question most people wouldn’t think to ask. She said, “A country whose total population is around 1 lakh. Exactly the same as a small town or a big political rally in our country. But a country like India, the world’s largest democracy, standing on the path of becoming a superpower with a population of more than 125 crores, why is it giving so much importance to this small country with a population of 1 lakh?”
The visit itself was announced on June 25. She said, “The Indian Foreign Ministry released a press release in which it was written that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go to Seychelles on the 27th to 29th of June.”
This isn’t routine. She said, “Prime Minister Modi had gone to the Seychelles in 2015. It was the first Seychelles tour of an Indian prime minister in the last 34 years. And now Prime Minister Modi is going there again, where he has been made a guest of honor in Seychelles’ National Day celebration. On one hand, there will be bilateral talks, and on the other hand, a new blueprint of India’s relations with this small country will also be prepared.”
The reason lies in the ocean. She said, “Seychelles’ geographical location is like a launchpad for India. Seychelles, located in the western part of the Indian Ocean, can keep an eye on India’s entire maritime trade route. China is continuously trying to surround India through the routes of Africa and the sea, which is called the String of Pearls.”
Nidhi was blunt about the stakes. She said, “Everyone knows that China is active, but it won’t listen. That’s why Seychelles is India’s strongest fort to break this encirclement. India has agreed to develop a military base and infrastructure on Seychelles’ Assumption Island. Our Indian Navy is also continuously patrolling here so that the way for Chinese ships and sea bandits in the sea can be blocked.”
India’s investment in the island nation goes well beyond defense. She said, “To strengthen Seychelles’ security, India has gifted Dornier aircraft, patrol vessels, and fast attack crafts. The entire coastal radar system of Seychelles runs with the help of India. Apart from this, India has made heavy investments in Seychelles’ new Supreme Court building and major infrastructure projects there.”
The political ties run deep too. She said, “Seychelles is heavily influenced by the people of India, who give direction to the economy and politics there. For India, Seychelles and its ocean, security and growth for all in the region is the first and most important stage of policy.”
She brought it down to one line. She said, “In international politics, the size of the country does not matter, but its position matters. If this small country with a population of one hundred thousand is slipped by India, then China will come and sit at our doorstep in the Indian Ocean.”
Nidhi closed by addressing the noise around the PM’s frequent foreign visits. Even if there are memes on social media, or it should be said that he always stays abroad, every visit of the prime minister of the country is big and accurate for some purpose. PM Modi’s visit is not just to strengthen friendship with Seychelles but to give the world the message that the real Sikander of this ocean is only India,” Nidhi ended.
