Shaping India's destiny

Modi blew us all away. But then, we always knew he would

aviJlg captured the imagination of ffiillions back home with his radical ideas and \7 isionary beliefs, India's charismatic ne,v Prime 1-finiscer Narendra Modi aka NaMo, finall y touched base with expatriates as Sydney rolled out d1e red carper for a rock stat reception, uni ting the heterogeneous d iaspora in a show of strength.

It was a magical Monday chat will be etched in our memories forever. Even the Australian dignitaries gathered on the o ccasion watched on in awe, lapping up the thuodemus applause and freezing the moment wid1 their mobile phones.

As I hopped off the train at Strathfield en roure to Allp hones Arena, an excited CityRail attendant lee me rbrough the electronic gates. "You must be going to meet your Prime Minister," he quipped.

The humble chaiwallah's rags -co- riches tale, scripted to perfec tion, like a Bollywood extravaganza, has clearl y struck a chord witb more tban just tbe deshis and videshis There had been media frenzy all week both on the domestic and international front. Expectations tao high, the mood was electric and Modimania gripped Sydney O lympic Park as 20,000 Indian Australian s congregated to finall y meet the man himsel f. The repercussions were felt far and wide And the show di dn't disappoint.

The doomsday prophets were nowhere tO be seen and naysayers we re clearly in the minority, drown ed out by the overwhelming exuberance.

Tapping into d1eir extensive resources, the Indian Australian Community Foundation unveiled an impressive performance. The arrangemen rs were impeccab leright from the free shurtle ro ticket distribution, crowd management co cultural showcase. A Modi -fied vegetarian menu was up for grabs to o in honour of the teetotaller. A large network of vo lumeers ensured the b ig night out unfolded without a glitch.

Every ethni c miuority was well represented including the Tibetans and Dawoodi Bohras, conspicuous .in their traditional attire and proud to be a part of celebrations. Religious differences were put aside, despite attempts b y some sections of media to harp on about unsavoury incidents of INDIANLINK the past. India was .in the limelight and nothing else mattered.

The euphoria was palpable, rising to a crescendo when Modi finally took centre stage. And the g lobal audience listened in rapt attention.

Much has been written about his firebrand rhetoric and consummate showmanship but what d1e Allphones Arena witnessed on the historic occasion was simplicity of his vision and genuine desi re to uplift India, quite along t he lines of our freedom fighte r s. Hoping to ernulate Mal1anna Gandhi and Swami V ivekananda, Modi's grand plans are firml y centred on "s1naU" 1nen

''Many peop le hold dreams of doing many great jobs. Good luck to them, what I have to do is small jobs for smaller people and [make) the small peop le big. That is what I want to work for," he reiterated.

His vision of India is fmmded on egalitarianism and meritocrac y. "\Y/e weren't forrunate enough co fight for the country 's freedom, we didn't have the good luck to go to jail for India's independence. We couldn't die for the countr y, but at least we can live for the country. If we fight, if we struggle, it should be for our country," he further stated passionately, whipping up the spirit of nationalism for the first rime in post-colonial India.

\Xl hile nuclear power, clean energy and regi onal security, figure prominentl y on 1v[odi's agenda, his immediate priority is a clean India - an India that we can all be proud of. Borrowing heavily from our traclitionaJ belief tlrnt cleanliness is next to godliness, Swach Bhaarath Abhi)'aan is not only his pet project, but one thm dominated hi s Sydney address.

"After so man y years of independence, not getting clean drinking water or electricity is so mething we are n ot proud of," the Prime Ministe r admitted with brutal honesty. "Basic sanitation and h ygiene are pressing issues. If we can make rhe countr)7 clean, it will be d1e b iggest service for poor people," he continued. " If you have any feeling co save rour country, tl1en you can clean up rhe image that the world has of L1dia."

E arlier, acknowledging the traditional owners of Australia, Nfodi spoke of shared valu es and common inheritances. O u tlining the extensive contributions of Indian Australians to their 'kar111q hhooml, he complimented them on rheir culture of hard -i.vork and dedication.

The role of rhe Anglo- Indian legacy in shaping the h istory of Australia did not go unnoticed "Australia is a beautiful country witl1 bountiful resources, but your biggest asset is yo ur peop le," he added.

But what struck Modi most was rhe dignity of labour. '1 have always admired this concept. Here, a research scientist also works as a cab dri ver. There is no shame in hard labour," he noted , saluting the egalitarian spirit.

Pay ing trib u te co the strength of democrac y in tbe two countries, he firmly believes India would o nce again lead the world, as a young and energetic nation with "2,500 million arms".

" Democracy is a wonderful concept. I am here because of Indian democracy. Eve n a common man can climb greater heights in a real democracy like India."

Speaking personally to eve r y member of the gathering, he stated "I know many of you took great in terest in the Lok Sabha e lectio n s of 2014 I know that for you, it was not abo ut w ho wins or loses, it was about wanting co know w hen India will become like th e country that you are residing in."

Working closely with the diaspora, Modi hopes to deli ver on the herculean promises he has undertaken on common's man's beh alf. To chis end, he has alread y begun dismantling bureaucratic red tape and g.irganruan hierarchies that have sti Aed econo1111c progress

" Please let us open the window and let some fresh air in Let us breathe and live for the first time and savour the new found freedom," he added poignand y An astute leader, l\fodi is also acutely aware o f the strength of youth power and is engaging with them as never before.

''\~'e want to achieve new heighrs of development, m y dear yotrng friends, and India has decided to concentrate on the you ng people," he h ighlighted "On the confidence of the ir t.alent, on d1e confidence of their capacity, they would become competent to help tbe whole world. I wish mat rhe whole wo rld shou ld come to India. The man u facmring sectors, mey sh ould come in because I wish that the youth of India should get emp loyment. I have decided that 100 per cent foreign investment will be allowed in tl1e railways I'm inviring everyone - please come, please come and invest in India's future."

The emerging superpower is cl early open for business, as l\fodi time and time again declared, and Australia will no longer be at rhe peripher y of it.5 visio n. Perhaps Indian Australians can play a greater role in shaping rhe destiny of their 111ath111hhoot11i.