The big takeaways from PM Modi’s US Congress speech

Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and now Narendra Modi. The Indian prime minister was given the honour on Thursday to address the joint meeting of the US Congress for a second time and his speech was received with a thunderous applause and, according to some reports, with 15 standing ovations. In a blockbuster almost an hour-long speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi covered several topics – from the Russia-Ukraine war, terrorism across the world, the security of the Indo-Pacific region, the economy and democratic spirit. Incidentally, Prime Minister Modi is the sixth Indian leader to have spoken at the US Congress, and it seemed that everyone, irrespective of politics, was a fan of him. Following his address, several American lawmakers, including Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy who rushed to take his autograph and click selfies with him. Modi’s Thursday address was longer than his 2016 speech during which he had spoken for 45 minutes. But what did we learn from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US Congress address? What is the significance of his speech? [caption id=“attachment_12777132” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] PM Modi autographs Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy’s joint session address booklet. News18[/caption] Democracy, Democracy, Democracy In his address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensured that he spoke about the importance and vitality of democracy, a theme that he also spoke of during his joint press conference with US president Joe Biden earlier in the day. Paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. for their contribution towards “liberty, equality and justice”, Modi in the US Congress said, “Democracy is one of their sacred and shared values. “It has evolved over a long time, and taken various forms and systems. Throughout history, however, one thing has been clear. Democracy is the spirit that supports equality and dignity. Democracy is the idea that welcomes debate and discourse,” he said. “Democracy is the culture that gives wings to thought and expression. India is blessed to have such values from times immemorial. In the evolution of the democratic spirit, India is the Mother of Democracy,” he added. To a rapturous crowd, Modi also pointed out that US is the oldest and India is the largest democracy and that their partnership augured well for the future of democracy. Beauty of India’s diversity From times immemorial, it has been said that India is a perfect example of unity in diversity and Modi highlighted this aspect of the country in his blockbuster speech. Speaking of India’s 75 years of Independence, he said that it wasn’t just a celebration of democracy, but also of diversity. He said that despite having 2,500 different political parties, 22 official languages, thousands of dialects and food changes, they all spoke in one voice. He added, “India is the home to all faiths in the world in the world and we celebrate all of them. In India, diversity is a natural way of life, today the world wants to know more and more about India.” [caption id=“attachment_12777142” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US Congress speech was nearly an hour-long. His 2016 address was 45 minutes in duration. News18[/caption] The economies of it all Modi’s speech wouldn’t be complete if he didn’t emphasise the growth of India’s economy and he did just that at the US Congress. Addressing the audience, he said, “When I first visited the US as prime minister, India was the 10th largest economy in the world. Today, India is the fifth largest economy and India will be the third largest economy soon. “We are not only growing bigger but we are also growing faster. When India grows, the whole world grows. After all, we are one sixth of the world’s population!” he said. Speaking of India’s economy and infrastructure, the prime minister added that his government has provided nearly 40 million homes to over 150 million, a national health insurance program, banking to the unbanked, and that his country today has more than 850 million smartphones and internet users – more than the population of Europe. He said, amid applause and applaud, “Last year, out of every 100 real time digital payments in the world, 46 happened in India. Nearly four hundred thousand miles of optical fibre cables, and cheap data have ushered in a revolution of opportunities. “Farmers check weather updates, the elderly get social security payments, students access scholarships, doctors deliver tele-medicine, fishermen check fishing grounds and small businesses get loans, with just a tap on their phones.”

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Women empowerment Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke of women and women empowerment in his nearly hour-long address. “…Today in modern India, women are leading us to a better future. India’s vision is not just of development that benefits women. It is of women-led development where women lead the journey of progress. A woman has risen from a humble tribal background to be our Head of State,” he said. He pointed out that India has nearly 1.5 million elected women at various levels of local governance. The prime minister added that women serve in the Armed Forces and that it is India who has the highest percentage of women airline pilots in the world. He also gave a shout out to women scientists, who were involved in ISRO’s Mars mission and further added, “I believe that investing in a girl child lifts up the entire family. Empowering women, transforms the nation.” [caption id=“attachment_12777182” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] It was a full house at the US Congress as Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the lawmakers. Modi covered several topics in his speech – from the Ukraine war to terrorism to Indo-US ties. AP[/caption] ‘Not an era of war’ As the Russia-Ukraine war continues to kill thousands and destroy the world’s fabric, Modi reiterated India’s stance of “this is not an era of war . But, it is one of dialogue and diplomacy.” This is the same words he had uttered earlier to Russian president Vladimir Putin and Modi stuck to this stance, saying, “We all must do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering.” He added, “With the Ukraine conflict, war has returned to Europe. It is causing great pain in the region. Since it involves major powers, the consequences are severe. Countries of the Global South have been particularly affected. The global order is based on the respect for the principles of the UN Charter, peaceful resolution of disputes, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Terrorism – a concern Prime Minister Narendra Modi also flagged terrorism as a major concern to not only India and the US, but to the world over. He said that more than two decades after 9/11 and more than a decade after 26/11 in Mumbai, radicalism and terrorism still remain a pressing danger for the whole world. The PM said, “Terrorism is an enemy of humanity and there can be no ifs or buts in dealing with it. We must overcome all such forces sponsoring and exporting terror.” After these words, we can’t help but wonder if Pakistan was listening to the PM’s speech. The ‘C’ word A lot has been said about the growing friendship of India and the US in face of China’s aggression and that was highlighted by Prime Minister Modi in his speech to the Congress. Taking a veiled jab at China, Modi said, “The dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow on the Indo-Pacific region. The stability of the region has become one of the central concerns of our partnership.” He added, “We share a vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo Pacific, connected by secure seas, defined by international law, free from domination, and anchored in ASEAN centrality.” He further stated that a region where all nations, small and large, are free and fearless in their choices, where progress is not suffocated by an impossible burden of debt, where connectivity is not leveraged for strategic purposes, where all nations are lifted by the high tide of shared prosperity. On this matter, he further reiterated, “Our vision does not seek to contain or exclude, but to build a cooperative region of peace and prosperity. We work through regional institutions and with our partners from within the region and beyond. Of this, QUAD has emerged as a major force of good for the region.” [caption id=“attachment_12777192” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves as he leaves after addressing a joint meeting of Congress at the Capitol in Washington. He is the sixth Indian PM to address US Congress and only the third world leader to address it twice. AP[/caption] Indo-US partnership PM Modi also mentioned and spoke of how India and US ties had progressed since the early 1990s. Speaking on bilateral ties, he said: “In the past few years, there have been many advances in AI – Artificial Intelligence. At the same time, there have been even more momentous developments in another AI – America and India.” The prime minister pointed out that even though the two nations had different circumstances and history, they were united by a common vision and by a common destiny. He said, “When our partnership progresses, economic resilience increases, innovation grows, science flourishes, knowledge advances, humanity benefits, our seas and skies are safer, democracy will shine brighter, and the world will be a better place.” He added, “Even by the high standards of our partnership, this visit is one of the great positive transformations. together we shall demonstrate that democracy is better and democracies deliver. I count on your continuous support to the India US partnership.” Climate Action In his nearly hour-long speech, PM Modi also made it a point to speak of care for the environment and about climate actions. “Earth is our mother and we are her children. In Indian culture, I deeply respect the environment,” he said, adding, “By being mindful in making choices, every individual can make a positive impact. Making sustainability a mass movement will help the world reach the Net Zero target faster. Our vision is pro-planet progress. Qur vision is pro-planet prosperity. Our vision is to create pro-planet people. What do we think of Modi’s joint address to the US Congress – a roaring success! With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .