Modi Is The Moment: UK's Indian Diaspora Sees PM As Bridge To Global Power
Gehna Gautam recalled the moment. 'I just met the PM. He walked past us. It was a surreal moment. I got to shake his hand. He is so dynamic. It was an amazing experience. The enthusiasm and energy of the people around here is on another level,' she said.
Sanjay shared a similar excitement. 'I am very happy to meet PM Modi. He has come here for a very important job. We wish him and Bharat good luck. He is doing a great job,' he said.
Bhavya called it unforgettable. 'The prime minister shook my hand and gave me 'Ashirwad' (blessing). It was the best feeling ever,' she said.
Shivani felt truly blessed, 'We shook hands twice and he also blessed me on my head. It is my pleasure to meet him. We are very blessed to have him over here. We are really very happy today.'
From the Dawoodi Bohra community, voices expressed pride too. 'As Dawoodi Bohras, we are very proud of the relationship that the prime minister has with our community. He has been a friend of our community for many years. And as a proud Dawoodi Bohra and as a British citizen, we welcome him to the United Kingdom and look forward to meeting him.'
Another Bohra added, 'I am very excited. This is my first time personally meeting PM Modi. He is a great friend to the Dawoodi Bohra community. It will always be a pleasure to meet him. We welcome him and we hope that one day he will visit us at our mosque in the UK as well.'
Preena, a diaspora leader, said, 'I am so excited to see PM Modi. My family and I are huge fans of PM Modi. He has done so much for India's progress. He made India a Vishwaguru. He made India very powerful on the world stage.'
Modi landed in London for a two-day visit beginning Wednesday. His agenda includes talks toward a Free Trade Agreement. In a departure statement, he said that India and the United Kingdom share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He listed the scope – trade, investment, technology, innovation, defence, education, research, sustainability, health and people-to-people ties.
Modi will meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and also pay respects to King Charles III. The aim is to spur economic growth, create jobs and raise trade to USD 120 billion by 2030.
This marks Modi's fourth voyage to the United Kingdom since 2015. His previous visits came in 2015, 2018 and 2021 for COP26 in Glasgow. He and Starmer met twice recently at the G20 in Rio and the G7 in Kananaskis.
India-UK ties saw an upgrade in 2021 when they adopted Comprehensive Strategic Partnership status. High-level visits followed. Both nations signaled firm commitments to deepen cooperation.
Next on Modi's journey is Maldives.
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