PM Modi’s gala in Australia to beat show at Madison Square Garden
New Delhi: A Madison Square Garden-like event is being planned for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Australia by the Indian diaspora there in mid-November when he visits Sydney for the G-20 summit, government sources said on Monday. The event may take place at Sydney’s Olympic Park on November 17.
Mr Modi’s address at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden last month was a huge success, with millions around the world watching it on television.
It is learnt that the Sydney event is likely to be attended by over 15,000 people, and will be hosted by the Indian Australian Community Foundation.
Those who are planning to organise a meeting of diaspora in Australia with Prime Minister Narendra Modi are hoping that given the enthusiasm of the Indian diaspora, it might be an even bigger event than Madison Square Garden.
The Prime Minister will first attend the G-20 summit on November 15-16 in Brisbane. On November 17, he is expected to address the Indian diaspora in Sydney, after which he will go to Canberra, Australia’s capital, for bilateral talks with Australian Prime Mnister Tony Abbott on November 18. This will be the second meeting between the two. Mr Abbott had visited India last month, when the two countries had signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement.
Mr Modi will be the first Indian PM to visit Australia after Rajiv Gandhi in 1986. He will also deliver a speech at the Australian Parliament, with some indications that it may be in Hindi.
“The Sydney event is the only community address that Prime Minister Modi will be delivering during his Australian tour. It holds significance as it is occurring when an Indian Prime Minister is visiting Australia after 28 years. Within three days of opening registration, over 250 community organisations have registered to be a ‘Reception Partner’ for the event.
In many other ways, it will be bigger than the Madison Square event of the US,” one of the main organisers from IACF was quoted as saying, in some news agency reports. According to the reports, IACF will organise the event with the support of hundreds of groups representing the Indian diaspora’s broad spectrum of cultural, linguistic and charitable organisations.
“The huge enthusiasm of Indians living in Australia for Prime Minister Modi and the much talked about Modi wave in elections has encouraged us to organise such an event in a short period of time,” one of the organisers has been quoted as saying in news agency reports, with indications that top members of the Australian polity and eminent personalities from different areas like academics, business and sports are also likely to attend.
On the likelihood of Mr Modi speaking in Hindi at the Australian Parliament, some reports quoted an Australian politician of Indian origin as saying, “I think it shows that he is bringing the respect, the culture and strengths of India to Australia.” Just like the Madison Square Garden event in New York last month, Mr. Modi is expected to address the Indian diaspora in Hindi at Sydney as well.
