Belgian PM's Chocolate India Gate Melts on Way to Modi
· World · Hindustan Times, LiveMint
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, on a three-day official visit to India, attempted to gift Prime Minister Narendra Modi a sculpture of India Gate made entirely of Belgian chocolate. De Wever said the chocolate sculpture did not survive the journey to India, joking that 'chocolate is excellent for diplomacy, but not excellent for diplomatic travel.' He said a backup is being arranged in Belgium and will be delivered intact. De Wever chose India Gate deliberately to symbolise the shared history between India and Belgium, dating back to Indian Army soldiers who fought and died on the Western Front in World War 1, particularly around Ypres and Neuve-Chapelle in Flanders. The Indian Army entered the Western Front on August 6, 1914, after the War Council in London requested two infantry divisions and a cavalry brigade from the Viceroy's government.
Why it matters
The visit underscores diplomatic and historical ties between India and Belgium, with the PM's gesture linking centuries-old relations to the sacrifices of Indian soldiers in Flanders during World War 1.
Read the original report — Hindustan Times
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