NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with his Australian counterpart, on Thursday addressed the Indian diaspora during his three-day visit to Australia.Around 30,000 people gathered to hear PM Modi speak in Melbourne, making it the largest gathering addressed by any leader in Australia.Here are the top quotes from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech
- I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, and I pay my respects to their elders, past, present, and emerging.
- When I came to Australia in 2014, it was after 28 years that an Indian Prime Minister had visited the country. You may remember that I had then said you would not have to wait another 28 years.
- In the last 12 years, I have come here for the third time. This time, a hat-trick has been scored! This reflects the heights that India-Australia relations have reached.
- Ahmedabad, where the world’s largest cricket ground is, and Melbourne, where the iconic stadium is, we have been together at both places. We all have seen, Prime Minister Albanese ji, when he speaks, he captivates the hearts and minds of Indians. You created a sensation in Sydney too, and here you have captivated everyone as well.
- Melbourne has truly won the day. I am also deeply grateful to my friend—and a friend of India—Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. You were with us in Sydney, and today you have joined the Indian community here in Melbourne as well; in a way, things have come full circle.
- There are many people here who live in at least two time zones. When children return home from school according to Australian time, people back in India are already waiting for them to come on a video call. The distance may be thousands of kilometres, but their daily routine is still connected with India.
- This city of Melbourne offers a glimpse of all four seasons in a single day, but the Indian community has made it even more vibrant with the colors of their culture. There are plenty of places here in Melbourne and around, markets that are filled with the hues of Indianness. Some call it Little India, some call it Mini India… whatever the name, the colors are steeped in Indianness.
- We Indians love to spread love. Your homes may have Australian milk, but the tea made from it is Indian. You must have heard about the Bhajan Clubbing trend driven by the Gen Z of India. And your weekends in Australia are also filled with spiritual activities.
- The India of the 21st century is working towards becoming a developed nation. When we realise one dream, new dreams take its place. We are a country filled with the aspirations of 140 crore people.
- We are the fastest-growing economy, and we want to become the world’s third-largest economy as soon as possible, Because our inspiration is: Grow more. Achieve more.
- You are contributing to Australia’s growth through your hard work, but I know that one eye always remains on India. You closely follow what India is doing, its progress, and the pace at which it is moving forward. The India of the 21st century is working towards the goal of becoming a developed nation. When one dream is fulfilled, it gives birth to another. Earlier, people used to say, ‘One lamp lights another, until thousands are illuminated.’ Today, I say, ‘One dream gives birth to another, and soon there are thousands of dreams.’
- Today, India has become the world’s second-largest 5G market. India is rapidly working on ‘Made in India’ 6G technology. Over the past 12 years, the metro network has expanded to more than two dozen cities across India. Today, over 12.5 million people travel by metro in India daily. India possesses the third-largest metro network in the world. We are rapidly expanding semi-high-speed networks in India, such as the Namo Bharat Rapid Rail and Vande Bharat.”
- We aspire to become one of the world’s top three economies as soon as possible, driven by the motto: ‘Grow more, achieve more.
- India is now preparing to launch its ‘Gaganyaan’ mission into space and is working towards the goal of establishing its own space station.
