Toronto: In the final leg of his three-nation trip, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a pitch for a transformative India with a promise to turn the country into a global workforce hub by 2030.
Addressing the Indian diaspora in a packed stadium in Toronto, Canada on Thursday, Modi said, “Development is the only way forward. India will provide the workforce to power global growth. My mission is ‘Skill India, not Scam India’.”
Showcasing the talent of Indians, Modi said, “We reached Mars on a cost less than what it takes to make a Hollywood film. Mangalyaan (Mars mission) is an example of the Indian talent.”
Modi also took a swipe at the opposition back home saying he is committed to cleaning up the mess of the past. The Prime Minister claimed that he has built an atmosphere of new trust and confidence in the country.
“The government in India has changed, so has the outlook of Indians. My job is to ensure that India is cleaned up. It will take time to clean up the mess of the past. There is an atmosphere of trust in India now,” Modi said.
Highlighting the work done by his government in 11 months time, Modi said, “Within 10 months, I’ve done what no other PM has in 42 years. It is not that only the government has changed. ‘Jan Man’ has changed. There is a new atmosphere of trust in our nation. Whatever is happening is not due to Modi but it is due to the people of India”
Modi is also the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Canada in 42 years. “This is the beginning of a new era in Indo-Canadian relations. India and Canada together can create a big force. Whatever resources India needs can be found in Canada,” Modi said.
Having sealed the deal with Canada to supply uranium to India for the next five years for civil nuclear use, Modi said the country will be responsible and contribute to clean energy.
“Countries didn’t give us nuclear reactors, fearing it will be misused. We are a peace loving nation and have not attacked another country. With uranium supply from Canada, we’ll fight for clean energy.”
Under an agreement signed on Wednesday after comprehensive talks Modi had with the Canadian Prime Minister, Cameco Corporation will supply 3,000 metric tonnes of uranium over five years to India at an estimated cost of $254 million.
After signing the uranium deal, Modi arrived in Toronto and walked on to the stage with his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper and his wife, Laureen Harper, who wore a saree. The leaders walked around the arena waving to the diaspora, and in their speeches talked about the warm relationship that India and Canada share
“India and Canada are like that of “2ab” that comes from the formula of (ab)square,” the Prime Minister said to cheers, adding, “You can imagine that Canada plus India can be such strong power in the world.”
Modi gifted a traditional Indian miniature painting showing Guru Nanak Dev with his disciples Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana to his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper.
The painting has been done by a Jaipur-based artist, Virendra Bannu.
Modi shared the information on micro-blogging site Twitter: “Presented @pmharper a traditional Indian miniature painting showing Guru Nanak Dev with his disciples Bhai Bala & Bhai Mardana.â€
In what could be said as a return gift, a 900-year-old piece of sculpture from Khajuraho temple, which had somehow reached Canada, was returned by Harper to Modi.
The sculpture, known as ‘Parrot Lady’, was handed over by Harper to Modi in accordance with the 1970 UNESCO Convention.
The stone sculpture, meant to be in UNESCO-protected Khajuraho, depicts a dancer with a parrot on her back.