Prabowo says he has Indian DNA, urges Indonesians to learn from India

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday said he has Indian DNA and asked Indonesians to learn from India’s experience, saying Indian civilisation has had a strong influence on Indonesia’s culture and society. He made the remarks at an Indian diaspora event in Jakarta attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Indonesian ministers.

Prabowo also said he was honoured to be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day in 2025, just three months after taking office, and recalled that Indonesia’s first President Sukarno had been the chief guest at India’s first Republic Day in 1950. Modi, responding to the remarks, called Prabowo a “true friend of India” and said his comments had touched the hearts of Indians.

Speaking at the event, Prabowo said, “Just before I made my state visit to India, I had a what is called a genome sequencing test. I tested my DNA and I found out I had Indian DNA.” In a lighter moment, he added, “And that’s why I think every time I hear some music, especially Indian music, I find my body moving.” He then said with a smile, “My ministers, my generals, they all like to dance. They all like to sing. Maybe most of them have Indian DNA.”

The Indonesian President said he is a friend of all Indians and a “great admirer” of Modi, adding that he had copied many of the Prime Minister’s policies. He said, “Indonesians must learn from the experience of India. Our civilisation and our culture are strongly influenced by Indian civilisation. Our language is around 50 per cent derived from Sanskrit. Many of our names are Sanskrit names. Therefore, there is this closeness, and we welcome more close cooperation.”

Modi told Prabowo that he is a “true friend of India”. Referring to the Indonesian President’s comments on having Indian DNA, Modi said, “Your statement touched the hearts of Indians. And this DNA is made of mutual trust, made of shared heritage, made of shared memories.”

Prabowo also said he had a “very good” meeting with Modi earlier in the day. “We are the two out of the three largest democracies in the world. It’s not an easy path... I think we agreed that it is the best system for justice, for hope, for inclusiveness,” he said, adding, “We must strive to maintain democracy.” He also praised the Election Commission of India, saying, “We are very closely learning from them”.

The event underlined the long-standing links between India and Indonesia, with Prabowo stressing civilisational and cultural ties, and both leaders highlighting friendship, democratic values and closer cooperation.

With PTI Inputs