Archives
Contribute
| Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Speaks To Record-Breaking Crowd At Madison Square Garden |
Press Release
10/08/2014
Contributions of Indian-Americans to both countries
On Sunday, September 28th, 2014, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi [nah-REN-drah moe-DEE] addressed the Indian Diaspora – Indians living in the United States – and several US elected officials, at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in Manhattan.
In his first visit to the United States as India’s newly elected Prime Minister, Modi addressed the relationship between America and the world’s largest democracy, India. In addition, he discussed how the extensive and historic partnership between the two countries allows Indian-Americans to contribute to both countries. “People from all over the world have come and settled in America,†noted Modi, “and Indians have gone and settled all over the world.†The Prime Minister encouraged the roaring crowd to participate in India’s growth, “Governments cannot make progress without public participation, … we need to make development a people’s movement.â€
Prime Minister Modi’s historic speech comes just before a White House visit on September 29th and 30th, when he will meet with President Barack Obama to help “fulfill the promise of the US-India strategic partnership,†according to a White House statement.
Prime Minister Modi’s public address and reception at the 20,000-seat venue drew such overwhelming interest that tickets, which were made available at no charge, were being distributed by lottery, with inquiries for the East Coast event coming from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii. There were 19,000 people in attendance inside the arena. Over 30 US elected Officials attended the event, with the enthusiastic crowd giving an especially warm reception for the first Hindu member of Congress, Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), and Indian American Representative Ami Bera (D-CA), and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (R).
Indian American elected officials, policymakers, and prominent members of the community spoke about Prime Minister Modi’s speech after the event:
"It was an honor to welcome India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States yesterday, and to hear his message of peace and friendship at his address to an energized crowd at New York's renowned Madison Square Garden. Mr. Modi's visit marks a significant positive step toward growing the relationship between the U.S. and India, which is a bond based on shared democratic values and a focus on mutual prosperity and security. I look forward to his visit to Washington, D.C. this week, where I expect he will continue to build the strong ties between our two great nations. I thank the Prime Minister for sharing his inspiring message of his vision for a brighter future, and I wish him well as he works to carry out his mission of service," said Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.
“The prime minister's speech today was profoundly inspirational. Every Indian found new meaning to what it means to be Indian. Leaders like this come around once every few decades. Modi ji is the right person for the right time. The organizers did a fantastic job in putting this event together. They should be proud of themselves.†Said Shabbir Q. Shehabuddin, Esq, a representative of the Dawoodi Bohra (Muslim American) community.
“People across the diverse Indian American community waited in lines up to three blocks long to get in to Madison Square Garden,†said IACF Spokesperson Anand Shah, “the Prime Minister’s popularity crosses boundaries and should be a sign that the Indian American community wants to be heard in America and wants these two great democracies to work together for a long time to come.â€
Prime Minister Modi noted, “Winning an election doesn’t mean securing a seat to sit on,†said Modi, “it about taking on a responsibility… if I were supposed to do easy things, then I would not have been elected Prime Minister. I’ve become Prime Minister to do the difficult stuff.â€
Recording and transcript of the speech will be available at www.pmvisit.org.
Photo credit: Office of Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA).
***
About The Indian American Community Foundation
Indian American Community Foundation (IACF) is a not-for-profit organization which has been established to promote cooperation between the United States and India. Its goal is to further advance the nations’ shared values of democracy, inclusive economic development, and mutual respect. IACF is working with 400 other Indian organizations to organize the speaking engagement at Madison
Square Garden on September 28th 2014.
|
You may also access this article through our web-site http://www.lokvani.com/
