During his visit to Guyana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled beautiful memories of his previous visit to the country two decades ago as a curious traveller.
Interacting with the members of the Indo-Guyanese community, he expressed happiness that now he had returned to the land of many rivers as the Prime Minister of India.
Noting that there was a hoard of changes from then till now, he remarked that the love and affection of the Guyanese people remain the same. “You can take an Indian out of India, but you cannot take India out of an India”, said PM Modi, addressing the Indian Community at an event organised in Georgetown, Guyana, today. He added that his experience of the tour had reaffirmed it.
Members of the Indian community expressed great joy on PM’s visit. “We are very excited to meet him for the first time. The way he has taken India’s name ahead on the global platform, this is giving strength to us who are living in other countries. Everyone now sees us with respect. This is all because of PM Modi”, Honey Sehgal, a member of the Indian community said.
Before inviting the PM on stage, Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali thanked PM Modi and the Indian community and expressed confidence in the India-Guyana ties. He remarked, “Together we are building a future founded on partnership, progress, prosperity, love and trust”.
He expressed great respect for the Indian community and touched upon various aspects to advance the relationship. President Ali reiterated PM Modi’s concept of “3Es” to advance India- Guyana ties, including the sectors of economy, education, and energy.
PM Modi took to the stage and addressed the Indian Community at an event organised in Georgetown, Guyana. He thanked the Guyanese leaders for their warmth and kindness.
The Prime Minister said that he planted a tree with the President and his grandmother as part of the ‘Ek Ped Maa ke Naam’ initiative of the Indian Government. He added that it was an emotional moment that he would remember forever.
In his address to the diaspora and the members of the Indo-Guyanese community, PM Modi lauded the spirit of the Indo-Guyanese community for their fight for freedom and democracy. He noted that they had worked to make Guyana one of the fastest-growing economies, leading to a rise to the top from humble beginnings.
Referring to the diaspora as the ‘Rashtradoots’, PM Modi said they were Ambassadors of Indian culture and values. He added that the Indo-Guyanese community was doubly blessed as they had Guyana as their motherland and Bharat Mata as their ancestral land. The Prime Minister underscored that today, when India was a land of opportunities, each one of them could play a bigger role in connecting our two countries.
“We have a shared future that we want to create”, the Prime Minister emphasised. The Prime Minister said that he was deeply honoured to receive the Order of Excellence, the highest national award in Guyana. He thanked the people of Guyana for the gesture. PM Modi dedicated the award to the 1.4 billion Indians and the 3 lakh strong Indo-Guyanese community and their contributions to the development of Guyana.
The PM held various interactions during his visit to Guyana. From interacting with cricketers to planting a tree and even addressing the Guyanese Parliament.
Earlier in a post on X, the PM said that it was an honour to address the Parliament of Guyana and interact with distinguished MPs and Ministers.
It was an honour to address the Parliament of Guyana and interact with distinguished MPs and Ministers. pic.twitter.com/jHh5hzV4gV
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 21, 2024
PM Modi also invited the diaspora to participate with families and friends in the Maha Kumbh to be held at Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26 next year. He also added that they could visit the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.
The Prime Minister also invited the diaspora to come and participate in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas that will be held in Bhubaneswar in January and partake in the blessings of Mahaprabhu Jagannath in Puri.
(With inputs from ANI)
