During his June 27-29 visit to the Seychelles, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was graced with a trophy never seen before – a pristine, pyriform azure prize created especially for him, titled the “Guardian of the Blue Horizon”.The award did not exist before Modi’s visit to the Seychelles. And the citation accompanying it was riddled with embarrassing misspellings: the country that conjured up the award, and was bestowing it on Modi, was called the “Repubblic of Seycheeles”.Those mistakes were the outcome of a “rush job” that invited “ridicule”, said Nitasha Kaul, a professor of politics and international relations at Westminster University in the United Kingdom.Yet Modi’s Blue Horizon award now sits neatly next to an array of similar trophies and medals in his foreign visit collection. When he has made diplomatic visits to other countries, Modi has more often than not left with an award, often – including the one from Indonesia on Tuesday – created just for him.“These awards are not about India’s diplomacy; they’re about Modi’s image,” Kaul told Al Jazeera.Here is more about the recent Seychelles award, others Modi has racked up over the years, and what they say about how several countries treat diplomatic ties with India under its current leadership.Wha …
