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PM Modi outlines potential for Australian opportunity in India

After a full day of activities - addressing the Australian parliament, meeting witb business leaders - the popular Indian Prime Minister Narendra :Modi was whisked co the hallowed grounds of the iconic 161 - yearold Melbourne Cricket Ground (tvfCG)

There he was joined by Australian Prime M inister Tony Abbott as well as cricketing legends from both India and Australia, including Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and V.V.S. Laxman, Steve Waug h , Gle nn McGrath and Alan Border, for a tout of the turf.

Later, at the gala dinner hosted 11 y PM Abbott, Prime i\liinister l\fodi sought Australia's assistance in acce lerating lnclia's urbanisation process.

"A successful India will be a vast opportunity and a force o f good for the world. We look forward to closer parrnership with friends l ike Australia," Modi said at the dinner.

" lnd ia is experienci ng urbanisation at a rapid pace Studies suggest that by 20 3 1, 11 per cent of the world's urban populatio n might be in Indian cities "

He added that India already has more than SO cities with a p o pL1lation of o v er one million. ' 'U rbanisation can be an enormous oppottunity," Prime i\liinister Modi s aid.

He spoke of his plans to build 100 smart cities, revive heritage cities, bu.i.l d modern solid waste management and waste water treaanent systems in 500 cities, and clean up the cou n tr y's rivers.

"This is part of our larger vis io n of a sustainab le future for our countr y, and rransforming the quali ty of life of our peop le in cities and villages alike," the Prime i\liin ister said He hoped tbat India coul d learn from A ustralia's experie nce and benefit from its expertise and noted that Melbourne is regarded as rhe best city i11 the world to liv e in.

Modi $aid he wanted to bu.i.l d a future in which ev er y Indian can say tbat his life has improved and his environment has become better.

'1 am confident rhat we will achieve it with the support of the people of Inclia, and th rough tbe talent and energ y o f 800 million yourh, below the age of 3 5 years," he said

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(It is) a generation that is eager for change and committed to work for it ," the Prime i\liinister added.

Modi also s tressed oo the importance of relationships between people.

" One thing we all agree on. The bonds between the countries are made strong b y the jo ined hands of o ur peop le."

The Prime i\liinister also areas too. "We have decided ro collaborate on a spo rts univ ers ity in India," he revealed " Our exchanges in sports, tourism , education and culture are g reat sources of streng th for our relationship," he stated. The Prime Minister thanked his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott for being " truly gene ro u s with your hospitality and warmth". spoke about the love for cricket that both India and Australia share "No business is serious enough t o keep an Australian and an Indian from discu ssing this great game," be said

P Jvl Modi concluded, " M y m em orable visit ro Australia ends toni g ht, but a new journe y of our relationship has begun."

He recounted lndia's glorious cricket triumph at the MCG in the Champions Trophy in 1985 and said rha t the Ground woul d b e a deserving venue for the final of tbe Cricket Wo rld Cup in 2015

"I bope that om· t\vo team s will play that match," Mocli said.

The Prime Minister also said that India can learn from Australia's famous sporting skills in other

India's Narendra Modi charms Australia's Parliament as the two nations rebuild their relationship

arendra :Modi is offic ially tbe first Inclian Prime Ministe r to address the joint h ouses of .Australia n Parliament. O n 18 November at approxi mately 10.20 am, Modi rose to sh are his views on a wide rn nge o f topic s incl udiog the shared mi.Ji tar y history, democratic systems in the rwo countries, an d security in the region.

That it was a historic occasion was evident from the packed - totbe- rafters chambe r and tbe pin drop sile nc e as Mr Mocli spoke. In a most refreshing way, the Ind ian Prime Minister commenced his address as he did in Sydney the day before, with a special acknowledgetnenr of Incligenons Australi ans. Very early on, he made sure be bad the attentio n of hi s auclience by cleverly incorporati ng a new term in politic al parlance, o n e coi n ed by

Prime 1vlin.ister Tony Abbott onl y weeks ago. Modi had the House smiling when h e acknowledged their e ndura nce in hearing a third international leade r speak in as many d ays : "Maybe this i s Prime Nlinis rer Ab b ott's way of shirrfronting you," he suggested w ith a sm.ile.

The ir interest capmred, PM Modi went on co spea k about the common bond between the two countries which is etched deep into history. He spoke of the soldiers fro m both countries who d ied at Gallipoli; the architec t of Can berra, Walter Burley Gciffin, who lies buried in the old city o f Lucknow in India; and of Australian novelist and lawyer John Lang who foug h t the legal battle for Indian freedom fighter, the Queen of Jhansi, Rani Laxmi B'<li against the British East India Compan y in India's fitst War of Independence 150 years ago, and who n ow lies buried in Musso rie

Bnr wh at PM Modi highlighted was tbe princjple of democracy binding the two nations. ln a full frontal attack on China, whose Premier was still in Australia, Mocli said, "Today, as 1 stand in this cem p le of democracy, 1 consider natio n s such as ours co. be blessed, because democracy offers tbe best opportunity fot the human spirit to flourish , because we have the freedom to choose, the right to speak and t he power co remove - and, for us in politics, witl1 no optio n but to leave with gra ce."

Warming to the them e, Modi spoke abour the need for Australia and Inclia to work rogethe r to m aintain stability in the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean regions \-X1e lc o m .ing Australia's ro le in the prosper ity and security of this region, Modi further said, "\Ve should collaborate more o n maintain ing m ar itime secur ity. \Ve should work togetl1er on the seas a nd collabo rate in internationa.l forums And, we should work for a universal respect for international law and global nor m s." The message was clearly sent to China that tl1ey n eed to be aware of India's d esire for a pace with Australia and Japan co counter their growing naval strengtl1

W itl1 the security issue on the table, Mr 1vlodi then bui.l t a case for greater econom ic engagement between the two countries.

Dangling the carrot of India's gro\ving economic middl e dass, 1viodi urged Australia to en gage more w ith India. He said , "I see Australia as a major partner in every area of our na tio nal priority. In prov.icling skills and education to our youth; a roof over eve ry head and electricity in every household; the most affordable healthcare fo r the most difficult diseases; the next generation of infrastructure that does n or take a toll o n our e nv ironment; energy tlrnt does not cause our glacie r s to melt - clean coal and gas, renewable energy or fuel for nudea r power; cities d1at are sma r t , susta.inab.le and liveab le; villages d1at offer opportunities; agriculture th ar y ields more and farms tha t are better connected to markets; practices and techn ology time save water " He also pro m ised d1at "Australia will nor be at the periphery of our vision, but at th e centre of our thought. So, we stan d cogeth er at a moment of enormous opportunity and great respo n sib ili ty. 1 see a great future of partnership between Inclia and Australia an d, a sh ared co mm itment to reali se it."

Tbe message ,vas clear. Inclia seeks Australia's h elp to counter balance the growing influence of China in the region. At the same ti m e , India is open for business, something which PM To n y Abbot has himself said about Australia. It seems d1at both are singing from tbe saine hymn sheet. The r efe r enc e to cricket, but of course, found its way i nto Mr Modi's address to highlight t he shared passions as well as the spo r ting rivalry between the two nations.

As l\fr Mocli concluded wi th a simple "Thanks a lot", it was clea r th at a watersh ed m oment in the history of the t\Vo countries had occurred