A viral video claiming Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed in Mauritius with the popular satirical song on inflation and rising prices ‘Mahangai Dayan Khaaye Jaat Hai' is fake and edited.
BOOM was able to confirm from the original footage of the welcome ceremony held for PM Modi, that the song being sung is a form of Geet-Gawai, a traditional Bhojpuri folk song, prevalent in the community in Mauritius. 'Mahangai dayan...' is a song from the 2010 Bollywood movie - Peepli Live where the lyrics refers to inflation as a witch and also spotlights rising prices of essentials and services in the country. The song is sung in a mix of Hindi and Bundelkhandi.
PM Modi had visited the island nation of Mauritius on March 12, 2025, and during his visit to the island nation he was conferred with Mauritius' highest national award. India and Mauritius signed eight agreements to bolster cooperation across key sectors, including trade and maritime security.
The video is being shared on Facebook with a caption in Hindi that translates to, "Even during Modi’s Mauritius visit, the witch of inflation reared her head. Now tell me, is there any insult greater than this?
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The same video was also posted on X by a parody account named @NetaFlixIndia.
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FACT-CHECK
BOOM found that the viral video was edited. In the original footage, people can be heard singing the Bhojpuri folk song ‘Geet-Gawai' a traditional folk song, a practice common among the Indian origin community in Mauritius.
We noticed that the X handle @NetaFlixIndia replied to a user asking for verification, that the video was edited.
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We then looked for the original video using specific keywords like 'PM Modi's Mauritius visit' and found several news reports detailing that he was welcomed with traditional songs and instruments, including the Bhojpuri folk song 'Geet-Gavai'.
The 'Geet-Gavai' song is inscribed on the representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. It is mainly a pre-wedding ceremony that combines rituals, prayer, songs, music and dance. It is performed by Bhojpuri-speaking communities in Mauritius who have Indian descent.
In our search we also found that PM Modi shared the same video on his X handle on March 11, 2025. At the counter 1:40 counter, group of artists can be heard singing the Bhojpuri Geet Gavai with lyrics specifically welcoming Modi to Mauritius.
The Bhojpuri lyrics in the original video translate to, "Welcome, we welcome Modi ji. Blessed, blessed is our country... Modi ji has arrived. It is a bond spanning lifetimes. Say Jai Mauritius.... Jai Bharat."
(Original lyrics 'स्वागत है, मोदी जी को हम स्वागत करते हैं. धन्य है, धन्य है, देश हमारा हो... मोदी जी पधारे हैं. जन्मों का नाता है. जय मॉरीशस बोलो, जय भारत)
News agency ANI and several other news channels also shared the same video.
