New York: Calling India’s biggest assets its democracy, demographic dividend and demand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to make Indians proud, in his speech on Sunday.
Addressing a crowd of around 20,000 Indian Americans at the Madison square garden, he said India had, after 30 years, brought a government in by absolute majority.
‘And I assure those who have given me this role that they will never have to look down with shame’. Speaking about the country and its peoples want for change Modi said, ‘The way the world is moving forward, India’s poorest of poor ask, till how long will we live like this? I promise you my citizens that the government you have chosen will not let you down’.
‘I have not taken a break for even 15 minutes since I’ve taken office’, said Modi.Â
He pointedly spoke of visa issues faced by Indian Americans, adding that he understood the problems they faced regarding Visa’s even though ‘I am thousands of miles away, I can understand your pain’. He announced that PIO card holders who have faced visa issues will get life long visas.
“Those who stay in India for a long time have to go to the police station, now they won’t have to.” “I have been told that due to differences between PIO and OCI people face difficulties, especially those who have spouses who are not Indians. I am happy to announce that we will merge the PIO and OCI schemes and make it into one,” he added.
He also announced a new scheme for NRIs in a few months. “We will also give long term visas for US nationals. We will also set up visa on arrival facilities for you”.
While bringing more attention to the US he said the country was the oldest democracy while India was the biggest democracy. ‘People from the whole world come to this country and Indians go to every country. There’ll be no city without a country represented in the US while there won’t be a country without an Indian’, he said to loud cheers from the crowd.
Bringing down the responsibility of India’s progress to its people he said governments can make schemes but the progress happens when people work together. ‘We’ve taken the stance to grow together as a nation. If the country wants to progress then we need to work together’.
Modi said every citizen should feel like they are fighting for freedom. ‘Giving your child education is better work than what the prime minister does.’ ‘Cleaning the streets is serving the people. Doctors helping the poor is them working for the country’.
Declaring progress as the freedom struggle he said the country needs to be taken forward with the large, young work force it has.
‘When I was Gujarat’s Chief Minister I had once said the ones who want to come back to India, come back. But every person who lives here, no matter for how long, have begun thinking that at least one foot should be kept in India.’
‘The 21sr century is Asia’s century. Even the US is saying that the 21st century is Asia’s century or India’s.’