NEW DELHI: In an unprecedented gesture, the government of Mauritius hoisted both the Mauritian and Indian national flags at half mast on Friday in honour Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
"Following the passing away of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the government has decided that both the Mauritius and India flags will remain at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on Friday," a directive by the office of Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth said. "An appeal is also being made to the private sector for all flags to be flown at half-mast during the same period," it said.
Around 68 percent of Mauritius's population of nearly 1.3 million are of Indian descent.
In a condolence message, Jugnauth said that Vajpayee "shaped the destiny of India through his bold leadership and his deep-rooted empathy for the common man".
Meanwhile, the British High Commission and the Belgian Embassy here flew their national flags at half mast in honor of Vajpayee. "The flag at the Embassy of Belgium flies half-mast as a mark of respect to the great statesman, Shri #AtalBihariVajpayee Ji," the Belgian mission said on its Twitter handle.