PM Modi US visit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak on the role of the diaspora in India’s development during his address to Indian Americans in United States next week, according to a community leader in charge of hosting the event.
PM Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. They will host Modi at a state dinner on June 22 (Thursday). The visit also includes an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on June 22.
Chicago-based Dr Bharat Barai, who was at the Ronald Reagan Building venue in Washington DC on Wednesday (June 14) to give final shape to the next week’s event, said that it is a sold-out event, with registration completed for all 838 seats.
“As far as the registrations are concerned, they are closed for the host committee as well as other people. We had an extraordinary response, all by word of mouth because we had only 838 seats. So there was no time and there was no capacity if we advertised outside," Barai told media.
"We used the database that we had from the previous public meetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and even before we could contact the people, they contacted us and it's all filled up,” he said.
PM address at Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center:
Modi will address an invitation-only gathering of diaspora leaders from across the country at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington on June 23.
“The topic is going to be the role of the diaspora in the growth story of India. We want to see what we can do as a diaspora to help India and the people of India come up to the new place in the world,” Barai said. Noting that the event will have very few cultural elements, he said the organisers want to make it primarily an engagement between the diaspora and the prime minister.
“The diaspora is very much excited about having such a visionary and working person who has propelled India to the fifth largest economy in the world. Not only that, he has elevated India's reputation,” he said.
US signing big-arms drone deal reports:
On reports of the US pushing a sign a big-arms drone deal during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, "I think the more we link our countries together, both strategically, economically, militarily, the better. If you look at the threats in the region, if you look at India's strategic location next to China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, with all the problems that we have in that part of the world right now, we need a strong partner, somebody that we can link ourselves to."
Media reports suggest that the Biden administration is urging India to iron out bureaucratic hurdles and take forward a long-awaited deal for U.S.-made armed drones ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Washington.
Reactions on PM Modi US tour:
Amitabh Mittal from Chicago thanked US President Joe Biden for inviting Modi on an official state visit. “He is the man of the action. He has transformed India. India has been waiting for someone like him to come and take charge,” Mittal said. Mittal hoped the prime minister would make an announcement on the Hindu Heritage Month in October.
“We have received his letter twice already in the last two years. But since he's here on the ground, I would love for him to mention that October is celebrated as the Hindu Heritage Month.
"Not only in America, but Canada, Australia, New Zealand and six other countries have joined in, and we have 30 proclamations already,” Mittal said.
(With PTI inputs)
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