San Jose: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday evening received a grand reception at the SAP Center in Silicon Valley amidst loud cheers “Modi-Modi” from the packed audience.
The Prime Minister’s entrance was no less than that of a rockstar as whistles, screams and thundering applause echoed across the centre.
Modi said that the 21st century is India's century and attributed the sudden change in India's fortune to the commitment, strength and pledge of the 125 crore people of the country.
I have faith in the nation because India is youthful. 65% of our population is under the age of 35: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 28, 2015"For some time now, people are saying that the 21st century is India’s century," Modi told a strong crowd of 18,500 Indian-Americans.
Asserting that he is giving every minute of his life in the service of the nation, Modi said he would live and die for the country. Modi said that in the past 16 months, world's perception about India has changed dramatically. The world is looking at India with a new vision and aspiration. He attributed this change to the commitment, strength and pledge of the 125 crore people of the country.
"I can tell you with confidence that this country will not remain behind," he said during his speech, which was marked with several rounds of loud cheering. In just 15 months, India has scaled new heights, has attained economic stability. In the past six months almost all rating agency have said in one voice that India is the fastest growing economy in large countries, he said.
Prime Minister Modi said that no one ever thought that brain drain can become brain gain. "This is actually brain deposit," he asserted, adding that it would serve its motherland at an appropriate time. "Now it is the time that every Indian can show people their strength," he said in his hour-long speech.
Modi recollected the contribution of the Gadar party in San Francisco in India's independence movement. California has had a historic relationship and contribution in India's development, he said.
"I am meeting Indian Americans a year after the Madison Square Garden event in New York. I am coming to California after 25 years. A lot has changed. Many new faces that I see. I can see here India's vibrancy here," he said.
Narendra Modi at SAP center (Photo: Twitter)
Modi congratulated Indian-Americans for the place of pride they came created for themselves among the people of Californians. The world has changed its impression about India because of your talent in computers. With your talent, commitment, innovations you are forcing the world to change.
If they do not change their view about India, they would become irrelevant in the 21st century he said. Noting that the mega corporations of today were startups of yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi compared his new government in New Delhi as a startup that had its own share on bumps on the road. "When I shifted to Delhi last year, I thought of my government as a Startup. So, I also saw some of the bumps you face on the road," Modi told members of Startup community from India and the US here. The mega corporations of today were Startups of yesterday, he said, adding that what is different now is that the digital age has created a fertile new environment for Startups. The idea of startups, he said, is close to his heart.
"You are likely to wonder why, because governments and national capitals are supposed to stop or slow things down, not start them up. I know this was once the view of Washington from Silicon Valley and this is exactly how tech specialists in Bengaluru thought about New Delhi. I know that many of you think that the only problems that have not been solved are the ones for which you have not written the apps yet," Modi said.
Modi said he understands their challenges, but also the wonderful feeling of creating something new. "The course of human history and progress has been shaped by imagination, inspiration, invention and innovation. I often say, if there's a strong wind blowing, some might want to shut the window. Others will want to put up a windmill or launch their sails on the seas.
"The difference between perception of something as a challenge or an opportunity is the difference between inertia and initiative; status quo and progress," Modi said.
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Noting that the idea of Start Ups is as ancient as this world, Modi said each economic age has been defined by disruption of the previous one, by the evolution of ideas and products that displace the old ones. Start Ups have always been the engine of progress.
"This is a world in which you don't grow by extracting resources, but by spreading an idea. More than the creator, it is the consumer, who discovers applications," he said.
Today, the Startups defy the natural rates of growth. An idea can become a global name within a year. Customers can multiply at the rate of millions, employees at the rate of thousands and valuation at the rate of billions, he said.
The convergence of technology, integration across diverse fields, distributed architecture and people willing to back an idea, have opened a new world for enterprise.
"This ecosystem was born in the Silicon Valley. No community is shaping our world as much as the one on this Californian Coast. It isn't just big names, but small firms that are fashioning every day new ways to enrich human life with the joy of artists and creators. That underlines America's success and inspires the world," he added.
Modi said he sees Startups, technology and innovation as exciting and effective instruments for India's transformation, and for creating jobs for our youth.
On his ambitious Digital India programme, Modi said his mission is JAM - Jan Dhan financial inclusion program, Aadhar unique identity card and Mobile Governance. In just 100 days, 18 crores new bank accounts were opened, which deposited Rs 32,000 crores in the bank, he said. There is new movement in India to provide unique identification to every citizens of India. And finally mobile governance, on which work is in full swing, he said. All these, he said, have resulted in reduction in corruption, saving hundreds and thousands of crores to the country's exchequer.
The Prime Minister said that today the world is facing two biggest challenges of terrorism and global warming. "This can be successfully addressed with firm commitment and co-operation with the people of the world," he said.
He rued that even today the United Nations has no definition of terrorism. If it has taken the UN 15 years to define terrorism, how long will it take to fight terrorism, he asked. Ridiculing the concept of good and bad terrorism, Modi said terrorism is terrorism.
Terrorism is terrorism. There is no good terrorism & bad terrorism. PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/H1BuvIDfIE
— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) September 28, 2015
"India has been suffering from terrorism for 40 years. All human forces should come together against terrorism. There is need for unity against terrorism. Only then there can be peace in the world," he said.
"India is a peace loving country. It is the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Gautam Buddha. It is the land of peace and ahimsa," he said. Modi said he would raise the issue of terrorism again at the United Nations on Monday. He is scheduled to address a UN Peacekeeping Summit convened by US President Barack Obama. At the top of the event, he was greeted by a number of US lawmakers.
Among the Congressmen who attended the event were Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Ed Royce, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Congressmen Ami Bera and George Holding, two co-chairs of the influential Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, were also there. Among other lawmakers include Loretta Sanchez, Eric Swalwell, Mike Honda, Tulsi Gabbard and Jim McDermott.
