‘We’re shaping lives, dreams, destinies’: Why PM Modi’s diaspora speech in Washington is significant

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in 2014 enthralled thousands when he had addressed crowds at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Nine years later, the prime minister did the same when he addressed a select crowd of Indian-Americans at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC. The last engagement before he ended his state visit to the United States and flew off to Egypt, PM Modi addressed the Indian diaspora at an event organised by the United States Indian Community Foundation during which chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ reverberated loudly. After his address, US Congressman Shri Thanedar, he also escorted PM Modi to the US Congress for his address, said: “Very exciting. I have never seen this king of enthusiasm for any visiting prime minister. I am very proud of PM Modi. He is enormously popular. I am looking forward to working with him to broaden and deepen our relationship.” PM Modi had earlier arrived in the US on 21 June for his maiden state visit on the invitation of US president Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. His visit has gone beyond mere optics – the two countries, India and the US, have signed important deals in the sectors of trade, defence, technology and space. Here are the big talking points from Modi’s diaspora event. Growing Indo-US ties PM Modi’s speech to the Indian diaspora focused on the growing partnership between the two countries – India and the US. At the start of his speech, Modi told the audience, “In a way, you have charted out the full map of India in this hall. I can see people from all corners of India here. It seems that a mini India has turned up. I have received unprecedented love and affection during my stay in the US.” He added, “I want to thank you all for showing such a beautiful image of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshth Bharat’, in America.” Modi credited US president Joe Biden for furthering ties between the two nations, calling him ‘a sorted and experienced leader. He stated that Biden had personally put in a lot of effort to take India-US ties to new heights. “Be it defence, industry, manufacturing, or the industrial supply chain, we are heading towards a better future together,” said the PM. He added that the decision of General Electric Company to manufacture fighter plane engines in India will prove to be a milestone for India’s defence sector. He further added that other companies like Google, Micron, Applies Materials had also, during his visit, announced to make investments in India, which would help create employment in India. [caption id=“attachment_12782992” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Modi’s event at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC was to a small, select crowd. The PM spoke on several issues and highlighted how India-US ties were growing significantly. Image Courtesy: @MEAIndia/Twitter[/caption] Prime Minister Modi stated that India-US ties would also go beyond land and extend into the skies after India signed the Artemis Accord. “This will provide several opportunities in space research. With NASA, India will send astronauts to space. That is why I said ‘Sky is not the limit’.” Modi asserted that the full potential of partnership between the two countries is yet to be realised and their ties is all about making the world better again in the 21st Century.

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H1-B visa and new consulates Maybe one of the most important talking points from Modi’s diaspora event was that of the changes being introduced in the H1-B visa process. Addressing the diaspora, PM Modi said: “Indian-Americans will not have to travel outside India to renew their H1B visas.” For the unaware, the H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations – such as technology, finance, engineering, and architecture – which require theoretical or technical expertise. America hires thousands of Indians through the H1-B visa. Since 2004, those on an H1-B visa had to return to India to renew these visas and get the H-1B extension stamped on their passport. This had become a big inconvenience for foreign guest workers and also for their employees, especially as the visa wait time is more than 800 days or more than two years. However, Modi’s announcement will bring relief to Indians on H-1B visas, who will now be able to renew those visas within the country, without having to travel abroad. Besides the visa, Modi also announced a new Indian consulate would be opened in Seattle this year, with two more in other US cities. Additionally, America’s new consulates would be opened in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. [caption id=“attachment_12783022” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Modi’s speech was punctuated with chants of his name and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai slogans reverberated loudly inside the building. Image Courtesy: @MEAIndia/Twitter[/caption] Invest in ‘transformed’ India Prime Minister Modi also pitched the idea of a new, transformed India to the audience at the event. He told the crowd, “The manner in which India has seen a digital revolution in the past few years is unprecedented. Maybe you will see a barcode board there at a shop in your village. Maybe you try to pay in cash and the shopkeeper asks if you have a digital payment app on your phone. This transformed India will amaze you. Today anyone, anywhere in India can do 24/7 banking. Be it Sunday or Monday, there is no impact on it.” He attributed this ‘tremendous progress’ to the belief of 140 crore people in the country. “Hundreds of years of colonisation had taken this belief away from us,” he added. He stated that “New India knows its direction and has no confusion about its decisions, resolve. Its potential turning into performance.” Amid chants of ‘Modi, Modi’, the prime minister also said that there was no better time but the present to invest in India. “This is the best time to invest as much as possible in India. Many of you have been living here for years. But I know your hearts are back in India.” Antiquities to be returned Another interesting point that PM Modi raised during his speech to the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Building was that about 100 ancient artefacts stolen from India will be returned by the American government. “These antiques were taken away both in the wrong and right ways, and found their way into foreign markets. I thank the US government for returning these. This symbolises that we respect each others’ emotions as countries. This shows that India-US relations are strengthening not just businesswise, but also sentimentally,” the PM said. Since coming to power, Modi’s government has untiring worked to restore and preserve India’s cultural heritage by getting all stone artefacts back to their rightful place. Even during his 2021 US visit, the PM had brought home 157 artefacts and antiquities, which included items ranging from 1.5 metre bas relief panel of Revanta in sandstone from 10th CE, to the 8.5 cm tall, exquisite bronze Nataraja from the 12th CE. At the conclusion of his address, PM Modi said amid a thunderous applause and a roaring crowd – “Together we are not just forming policies and agreements, we are shaping lives, dreams and destinies.” 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.