PM Narendra Modi addressed a community event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, amid cheerful applause from the Indian Diaspora in Australia.
As part of a three-day visit to Australia, the second, after his 2014 visit, PM Narendra Modi addressed a large crowd of the Indian community at an event at Sydney Olympic Park on Tuesday. He landed in Australia on Tuesday after attending the G7 Summit at Hiroshima and FIPIC Summit in Papua New Guinea. As per reports in local media, the PM had expressed the desire to strengthen defense and security cooperation between India and Australia, as China is rapidly expanding its influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Mr. Modi also held meetings with prominent business leaders of Australia calling for enhanced cooperation and increased investment with Indian industries in areas of technology, skilling, and clean energy.
Grand Welcome amid loud cheering
Australian PM Anthony Albanese and Indian PM Narendra Modi were greeted with thunders of applause as an exhilarated Indian diaspora community finally got to see the sight they were waiting for impatiently. The program began with cultural events, Vedic chanting, and the national anthem of both countries was also sung.
Mr. Albanese began his address by highlighting the deep connection that the people of Australia and India share. He said the warmth and energy people of India share is ‘second to none’. Recalling some moments from his India trip back in March, Albanese said that it was a journey full of unforgettable moments. From celebrating Holi in Gujarat to laying a wreath for the Mahatma in Delhi, he remarked that ‘everywhere I went, I felt a deep connection between people of India and Australia’.
He also said that ‘if you want to understand India and its people, travel by train or bus’. The crowd began chanting ‘Modi’ ‘Modi’ when Albanese said that PM Modi ‘has got the kind of welcome even Bruce Springsteen didn’t get, PM Modi is the Boss!’
Albanese also thanked Modi for bringing the spirit of the world’s biggest democracy to Australia and the Indian community for strengthening Australia with such diverse culture. ‘You make Australia stronger!’ he said.
Australia-India relationship based on mutual trust and respect
In his opening speech, PM Modi expressed his gratitude to the Albanese for supporting him as they unveiled the foundation stone of ‘Little India’, a suburb of Sydney housing a large number of Indians. Saying that he has fulfilled his 2014 promise of visiting Australia, Modi enthralled the Indian community by thanking them for turning out in such large numbers.
He added that the most significant foundation of the India-Australia relationship is mutual trust and mutual respect and that this has been nurtured by Indians living in Australia.
PM Modi said that there was a time when the 3Cs i.e., Commonwealth, Cricket, and Curry used to define the India-Australia relationship. After that, this relationship was defined in terms of 3Ds or Democracy, Diaspora, and Dosti. Later it also became 3Es or Economy, Energy, and Education. He added that the real marker of this relationship transcends these alphabetical descriptions.
He also remarked that despite the vast geographical division between India and Australia, it is the Indian Ocean that serves as a link between the two nations. He stressed how the two countries have different cultures, lifestyles, and languages, but still share similarities with Yoga, Cricket, movies, and Master Chef serving as connecting bridges.
Mr. Modi also mourned the loss of Australian cricketer Shane Warne saying that we were saddened as if ‘we had lost someone of our own’.
India’s position in the world
In a historical event in Sydney, PM Modi went on to underline India’s significance in the world by stating that while the IMF considers India a bright spot of the global economy, the World Bank concedes that the Indian economy is withstanding global headwinds. Stressing the export capacity of India and its vaccination program even amid challenging times, he added that India does not lack resources or capability.
Saying that India has made great strides in the past 9 years, Modi presented a detailed list of achievements like opening 500 million bank accounts for the poor and transformation of the whole ecosystem of public delivery in India.
India is the fastest and largest growing economy in the world, he added, consisting of the world’s biggest and youngest talent factory. ‘It is the mother of Democracy sticking to our fundamentals and considering the world as our family’.
He also announced that a new Consulate will be opened in Brisbane city of Australia very soon. The event ended with a formal vote of thanks and the crowds cheering as they managed to shake hands with the two leaders beginning to symbolize a shared synthesis of cultures and a future of trust and cooperation between the two nations.
