During his ongoing trip to Greece, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Indian diaspora in Athens on Friday (August 25). Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister hailed the success of Chandrayaan-3, saying India has become the first country to land in the dark zone -- at the south pole of the Moon. "By hoisting the Tiranga on the Moon, we have made the world aware of India's capabilities. Congratulatory messages are pouring in from across the world...The social media is full of congratulatory messages," he added.
"When the achievement is this big, its celebration also continues. Your faces say that wherever you might be in the world, India beats in your heart...I congratulate you once again on the grand success of Chandrayaan-3..." PM Modi further said.
Members of Indian diaspora attended in large numbers
Hundreds of members of the Indian diaspora attended the event, which began with a performance of the Punjabi folk dance, Bhangra, by young members of the Indian community. Addressing the Indian diaspora, the Prime Minister also cited several development feats achieved by his government in the last nine years and emphasised that never before has so much investment been made in the infrastructure sector.
Over 25 lakh km-long optical fibre cable has been laid in India since 2014 which is, he noted, more than six times the distance between the Earth and the Moon. India has taken indigenous 5G technology to around 700 districts in record time, he said, drawing cheers from the audience. The world's highest-altitude raid bridge and motorable road besides the biggest cricket stadium and the tallest statue are in India now, he said. The Prime Minister further said top global bodies like the World Bank and the IMF are praising the Indian economy with leading companies vying with each other to invest in India.
PM Modi hails Sikh gurus
It should be mentioned here that the Prime Minister invoked ancient ties between the civilisations of India and Greece, and praised the roles of Sikh gurus in strengthening their relations. He received a rousing welcome upon his arrival at the hotel in Athens with members of the diaspora who had gathered outside the hotel chanting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai,' and 'Modi, Modi.' Notably, PM Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister in the last 40 years to visit Greece.
PM meets eminent personalities
PM Modi also met noted personalities in Greece before wrapping up his trip to the Southeast European country. He met eminent professors, a musician and the head of a religious organisation. The Prime Minister Guru Dayanidhi Das Ji, who is associated with ISKCON. "In Athens, I had the opportunity to meet Guru Dayanidhi Das Ji. Associated with ISKCON, he has been making innumerable efforts to make Indian culture popular among the youth of Greece. He is also at the forefront of many community service efforts," PM Modi wrote on 'X' (formerly known as Twitter).
(With inputs from agencies)
