Dr. Bharat Barai, a well-known community figure who organised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s event at the Ronald Reagan Centre in the US on Wednesday (local day), claimed that PM Modi is the most well-liked public figure and leader not just in India but also worldwide. “PM Modi is the most popular public figure, leader in the world, not just in India. The Prime Minister is extremely popular. He’s perceived as a visionary leader for India who is working tirelessly for the growth of India,” Barai said. Barai while standing at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., said: “This is the Ronald Reagan Building. This is where we are going to have the Prime Minister’s programme. Right where you see downstairs, the atrium, the guests will be sitting and right across from there, Prime Minister will address the diaspora.”
Dr Barai said earlier the plans were to host PM Modi at a giant stadium in Chicago, three stadiums were simultaneously booked for him to address 40,000 Indian Americans. But because of the scheduling and logistical hurdles, it could not be finalised. The Prime Minister finally gave his consent to address the community on the evening of June 23 at 6 PM soon after which he is going on an official visit to Cairo at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
“Because of the limitation of the capacity, we can only accommodate about 830 guests. So, my apologies to lots of people who wanted to come. But either we had a choice of not doing any programme or doing a programme for 838. And it’s because of the conflict in the scheduling that we could not do a larger programme.” The event would be hosted by the U.S. India Community Foundation. While talking about the topics PM Modi will be speaking on, Barai said: “We want the Prime Minister to tell us what the diaspora can do for the country. So, the topic that we have requested him to speak on is the role of the diaspora in the growth story of India, what can the diaspora do for the country, what the diaspora can do to improve the living standard of people of India, how we can help.”
Barai said the Prime Minister taught the idea that every family should have a toilet, and every family should have piped water, which has now happened to 80 per cent. And hopefully, in the next two years, 100 per cent of households will have tap water. He thought that every household in Gujarat should have electricity, which he did.
Barai further said: “We had enough funds for the event within four days as people are donating because of Prime Minister. When they hear that there is going to be a program of PM Narendra Modi, they want to support the program. So there is a reasonable number of volunteer donors who have donated the funds, but more than 80 per cent of the people who will come as guests are coming for free: Dr Bharat Barai, Organizer of the event.” Meanwhile, US Representative Richard McCormick emphasised the importance of strong economic, military, and strategic connections between the US and India on Wednesday (local time). He highlighted that parliamentarians, whether they are Democrats or Republicans, need to pay greater attention to India as a “future partner going forward”.
In response to rumours that the US was pressuring India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept a major arms deal including drones, he stated, “I think the more we integrate our countries together, both strategically, economically, and militarily, the better. Given the threats in the area and India’s strategic location next to China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, as well as the current issues there, we urgently need a solution. According to media sources, the Biden administration is pressuring India to remove administrative roadblocks and move up with a long-awaited purchase for American-made armed drones before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned trip to Washington.
