PM Modi in New York talks about 'Pushp' as way forward

Washington, Sep 22 Prime Minister Narendra Modi coined a new formulation for developing India -- the Hindi word "Pushp". The letter 'P' stands for Progressive India, 'U' for Unstoppable India, 'S' for Spiritual India, 'H' for Humanity-first India and 'P' for Prosperous India.

PM Modi also told Indian-Americans during his speech at the Nassau Coliseum that he was touched by President Joe Biden's warm welcome to his home in Delaware on Saturday and that respect was for the people of India and Indian Americans here.

PM Modi started his speech by speaking about his visits to the US before he came into politics and that he had toured 29 states then.

The Prime Minister spoke about AI, which he said may stand for Artificial Intelligence, but he believes it stands for American Indian and American India.

The programme was held at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New York, about 50 km from Manhattan.

PM Modi has addressed the diaspora during most of his significant visits to the US, starting with a massive event at the Madison Square Garden in New York in 2014, San Jose in California in 2015 and the "Howdy Modi" rally with then US President Donald Trump in Houston in 2019, and Washington DC in 2023.

Organisers have said 15,000 people are attending the Nassau event, with Indian-American driving from all over the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains extremely popular with Indian Americans.

On Saturday, immediately after his arrival in Philadelphia, the Prime Minister had shared his eagerness to meet the Indian diaspora and Americans from across the US at the New York event.

"The Indian community has distinguished itself in the USA, making a positive impact across diverse sectors. It's always a delight to interact with them. At around 9.30 p.m., India time on Sunday, 22nd September, I will address the 'Modi and US' programme in New York City. Let's celebrate the bonds that connect our nations!" he mentioned after landing in Philadelphia following a nearly 16-hour journey from Delhi.

Preparations for the key engagement, sandwiched between the Quad Summit convened by US President Joe Biden in Delaware on Saturday and PM Modi's address to the United Nations Summit of the Future on Monday, have been going on for past many weeks with the organisers overwhelmed by the number of people who wanted to attend the event billed as 'Modi and US, Progress Together'.

"We are just so proud of Modiji, and we're proud to be part of this great celebration. Modiji, we love you, and we want you to be very successful in whatever you're doing for our country," said a lady who had arrived early at the venue on Sunday.

"This is an event that's being organised by the community. As you know, we have about 4.5 million strong Indian diaspora in the United States, amongst the largest such groups there, and one that has made a mark for itself and is contributing to the relationship between the two countries by acting as a vibrant living bridge between the two of us," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said earlier.

Source: IANS