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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that he has set very ambitious goals in his third term to make the country a developed nation and asserted that India today is a land of opportunities.
“After going through this tough election process, this long election system, something unprecedented happened in India (this year). What happened? Abki baar Modi sarkar,” Modi said in his address to thousands of Indian Americans in New York.
”For the first time in 60 years, the people of India have given a mandate which has great significance. During my third term, I have very ambitious goals to achieve. We have to move forward with three times the strength,” he said.
Modi said he has dedicated his life for good governance and for a prosperous India. Observing that destiny brought him to politics, he said he had never thought of becoming a chief minister or prime minister. Over the last 10 years, people have seen this model of governance and thus have voted him to power for a third term, he added.
The prime minister was addressing a packed Nassau Veterans Coliseum with more than 13,000 Indian Americans. While the majority of them were from the New York and New Jersey area, Indian Americans came in from 40 States, organisers said. Sixty charter buses were used for transportation purposes.
Applauding the role of Indian Americans in strengthening the relationship between India and the US, he called them as India's brand ambassadors.
Referring to a Sanskrit shloka that ’it is those who make sacrifices reap benefits’, the prime minister said wherever the Indian diaspora lives, they contribute to the societal and national development in every field.
In his remarks, the prime minister touched upon the celebration of democracy across the world, in particular in India and the US.
"While the elections in India are over, it's under process in the United States. The elections that were just held in India were the biggest elections so far in human history. When we see the scale of India's democracy, we are even more proud,” he said.
Modi applauded the role of Indian Americans in making the country and community proud.
"Just yesterday, President Biden took me to his home in Delaware. His affection, his warmth, it was a moment that touched my heart. This respect is for the 140 crore Indians. This respect is for you, for your achievements, for the hundreds and thousands of Indians living here,” he said and called Indian Americans as India's brand ambassadors.
He also referred to the recently concluded T-20 World Cup in the United States.
India, he said, is now aspiring to be the third largest economy of the world from the fifth position. “Today, people of India, he said, are full of self-confidence, they have resolve and determination to achieve their goal,” he said, adding development in India has now become a people's movement.
"Every Indian has confidence in India, its achievements. India today is a land of opportunities. It's no longer waiting for opportunities. It is now creating opportunities,” he said, adding that in just a decade 250 million people have been lifted out of poverty.
“This was possible because we changed our old way of thinking. We changed our approach. We empowered the poor,” he told the Indian Americans. It is this new middle class, which is accelerating the development of India, he said.
An entertaining cultural performance was the main highlight of the event before the prime minister arrived. The Echoes of India - A Journey Through Art and Tradition, showcased 382 nationally and internationally known artists.
Prominent among them including Grammy award nominee Chandrika Tandon, STAR Voice of India winner, and superstar Aishwarya Majumdar, Instagram's Dancing Dad Ricky Pond, and singing sensation Rex DSouuza, in a seamless experience of India's cultural diversity.
There were unique performances by 117 artists, impressing and entertaining attendees as they enter the coliseum. Organisers said more than 30 classical, folk, modern and fusion performances will pay homage to the rich and diverse cultures of India.