‘Today’s India doesn’t think small. Today, India is…’: PM Modi tells Indian community in Bali

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Indonesia to attend the G20 Summit, addressed an Indian community event in Bali on Tuesday. “The accomplishments of the Indian diaspora make us proud… India and Indonesia are connected by shared heritage and culture.” Modi said.

Modi was greeted with “Modi, Modi” chants. Modi also tried his hands at traditional Indonesian musical instruments at the venue.

“As I speak to you in Bali and we sing songs of Indonesian traditions, 1500 km away from here in India’s Cuttack, Bali Yatra Mahotsav is going on – Bali Jatra. This Mahotsav celebrates thousands of years old India-Indonesia trade relations,” Modi said at the Indian community event.

“When people of Indonesia see photos of this year’s Bali Jatra on the internet. They will be proud and happy. Due to the issues arising due to Covid-19, some hurdles had cropped up. After several years, Bali Jatra Mahotsav is being celebrated on a grand scale with mass participation in Odisha,” the PM added.

Relations between India and Indonesia stand strong during both good and difficult times. In 2018, when Indonesia was affected by an earthquake, India immediately started operation Samudra Maitri, Modi said.

“That year when I came to Jakarta, I had said that India and Indonesia may be 90 nautical miles apart, but in reality, we are not 90 nautical miles apart but 90 nautical miles close,” Modi recalled.

Modi said at a time when the grand Ram Temple is taking shape in India, “we also proudly remember the Ramayana tradition of Indonesia”.

“India’s talent, technology, innovation, and industry have made their mark in the world today… Today, India is the world’s fastest-growing large economy,” Modi… Today’s India doesn’t think small. Today, India is doing work at unprecedented scale and speed,” Modi said.