Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that he had been touched by the affection accorded to him by the expatriate Indian community during his recently concluded 10-day trip to Myanmar, Australia and Fiji, adding that he will leave no stone unturned in creating the India of their dreams.
The Prime Minister wrote a blog reflecting upon his experiences during his recently concluded trip, which included his attending five summits and 20 bilateral meetings.
"On a personal note, the affection from the Indian community was touching. Be it in Myanmar, Australia and Fiji, I will not be able to describe their warmth in words. In their eyes too, I could see that they were proud of India and of the changes happening in India. I could see dreams and expectations in their eyes. As I said during the Indian community programme in Sydney, we are fully aware of the expectations and we will leave no stone unturned in creating the India of their dreams," he wrote.
Prime Minister Modi also recalled the excitement he witnessed when he announced the merger of the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and Person of Indian Origin (PIO) programmes.
"There was immense glee on the faces of our diaspora when I announced the visa-on-arrival facilities and the OCI and PIO merger in Australia and Fiji. It is our aim to make the diaspora an integral part of our development journey and since the last few months we have channelized our efforts in this regard," he wrote.
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"We want to create an environment where our diaspora also feel that they can contribute towards India's development. That is also the reason I urged NRIs to keep sharing their views and thoughts on www.mygov.in," he added.
Thanking his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott for hosting a reception at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Prime Minister Modi stated that he was confident that India can make a positive change on the world stage.
"I fondly remember the reception at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. It was very kind of PM Abbott to specially fly down to Melbourne and host the reception, where cricketing greats including Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, VVS Laxman and Glenn McGrath joined," he wrote.
"My eastward travels over the past few days have been a reminder of what the world expects from India. I saw in their eyes a desire to see India playing its part for a peaceful, stable and developed global community. I also saw a reflection of the energy of our youth, keeping pace with rapid changes across the world. I am convinced with even greater consciousness of the positive difference India can make on the world stage. The world is looking at India with renewed enthusiasm. We must reciprocate with a renewed commitment to our shared values and goals. Together we shall script a better future for India and the rest of the world," he added.
Prime Minister Modi returned home on Thursday morning after a successful 10-day three-nation trip. He first visited Myanmar, where he attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-India Summit and the East Asia Summit (EAS). He then travelled to Australia to attend the G-20 Summit and hold bilateral talks with that nation, before travelling to Fiji, where the Prime Minister said India could play a significant role in creating a "Digital" Fiji, and suggested that the island-nation could serve as a hub for stronger Indian engagement with the Pacific Islands.
