I wanted to know more about Punjab, says Seychelles envoy to India

“During my meeting with the governor, I wanted to focus on the avenues of cooperation. Seychelles is known internationally for its environment conservation efforts, biodiversity, ecosystem conservation, sustainable management of resources and sustainable tourism. Therefore, Punjab could benefit from our expertise, say in sustainable tourism management, and we could benefit from their expertise in agriculture,” said Gall.

When asked why he visited Punjab for such a collaboration, since a majority of the Indian community in Seychelles is from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Gall said, “Our tradition and values are similar. People of Punjab respect their elders and give importance to family ties. Seychelles also values such ties. The Punjabi hospitality is second to none.” He added that they are not looking at big figures in terms of using India’s trained labour and therefore, chose Punjab, especially because of its expertise in agriculture. “It has to be a two-way exchange. People in Punjab are looking for jobs and maybe, we could make employment opportunities in Seychelles in sectors where Punjab has qualified people. I am not talking about huge figures and thousands of jobs, but I think it would be a step in the right direction.”

Gall mentioned the areas where such a collaboration can take place. These are healthcare, education, construction and security staff. He also proposed joint business ventures, urging a two-way investment from businessmen in both countries. Gall, however, said that the visit was too short to make big statements. “It would be presumptuous at this stage.”

The high commissioner is also writing a book about his impressions of India which include essays, fictions, short stories and speeches delivered by him – the inspiration for which comes from his visits to places such as Coimbatore, Kolkata, Dehradun, Bangalore, Chennai and now Punjab. “I have written a text about the heritage trees, which is a very Indian concept. I have also written my thoughts about dosa, my favourite dish.”