This India Gate couldn’t survive the journey to Delhi

It was supposed to be a distinctly Belgian gift with a deeply Indian connection: a replica of New Delhi’s India Gate crafted entirely from some of Belgium’s finest chocolate.

There was just one problem. It didn’t survive the journey.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever revealed the diplomatic mishap on Thursday after talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, joking that chocolate may work rather better for diplomacy than it does for international travel.

“I had actually planned to present to Prime Minister Modi a fitting gift - a sculpture of India Gate entirely made out of the best Belgian chocolates. But, unlike the real India Gate, which has stood for almost a century, the chocolate version didn’t even survive the journey to India. Chocolate is excellent for diplomacy, but not excellent for diplomatic travel, we noticed. But no worries, we have a back-up in Belgium, and one way or another, I will get it to Prime Minister Modi in one piece. That’s an ambition I leave India with today,” De Wever said at a joint press conference following the two leaders’ talks at Hyderabad House.

More than a sweet gesture

Behind the unusual gift was a more poignant message.

De Wever said India Gate had been deliberately chosen because of the history shared by India and Belgium.

The chocolate replica highlighted part of the monument’s inscription commemorating Indian soldiers who fought in Europe during the First World War, including those who lost their lives in Flanders.

“We chose India Gate deliberately, as a symbol whose meaning speaks directly to our shared history and future partnership. Because India Gate carries a deep message. On the sculpture, the chocolate version, we enlarged a part of the inscription that commemorates Indian soldiers who fought and fell in Flanders Fields during the First World War. More than a century ago, Indian soldiers travelled thousands of miles to fight on Belgian soil, and we have not forgotten this. We have not forgotten their courage and their sacrifice. It is a part of our history and of our shared history, and it reminds us that peace can never be taken for granted,” he said.

The Belgian leader promised that Modi would still receive the unusual sculpture, saying another version remained safely back home in Belgium.

First Belgian PM visit in 20 years

De Wever’s visit carries significance beyond the chocolate diplomacy. He said he was the first Belgian prime minister to visit India in two decades, describing the gap between such visits as “too long”.

The Belgian leader, who is from Antwerp, thanked Modi for the welcome and said India had undergone an enormous transformation during those 20 years.

De Wever described India as an increasingly important partner for Belgium, highlighting its economic and technological growth and expanding geopolitical influence.

He also pointed to Belgium’s role as an internationally connected and trade-dependent economy, saying the two countries had much to offer each other as they deepen their partnership.

- with inputs from IANS