'Howdy, Modi' event in Houston LIVE Updates: 'PM told us you've suffered a lot, together we've to build new Kashmir'; Modi meets Kashmiri Pandits

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10:51 (IST)

10:45 (IST)

Modi arrived in Houston on Saturday night

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Houston 12 hours ago late on Saturday and was given a very warm welcome by Director of Trade and International Affairs Christopher Olson, US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster, Indian envoy to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla, and other officials on his arrival.

Members of the Indian diaspora waved Indian flags to greet Modi on his arrival. Tulsi Gabbard, a House Representative member from Hawaii, tweeted her welcome.

10:43 (IST)

'PM told us you've suffered a lot together we've to build new Kashmir'

A delegation of the Kashmiri Pandit community met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Houston, and "unequivocally supported" the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and it being made part of the rest of the country.

"In Houston, a delegation of the Kashmiri Pandit community met the Prime Minister. They unequivocally supported the steps being taken for the progress of India and empowerment of every Indian," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) tweeted.

10:41 (IST)

Modi meets delegation of Kashmiri Pandits

Surinder Kaul, representing the Kashmiri Pandit community in Houston told ANI, "PM told us you've suffered a lot. Together we have to build a new Kashmir. Our youth presented him the messages that the community had prepared for him. I presented a memorandum on behalf of the community. He gladly accepted it."


"We thanked him on behalf of the 700,000 Kashmiri Pandits all over the globe for such a historic decision. We assured him that our community will work with the government to fulfill the dream for a Kashmir which is peaceful, full of growth and where people are happy," Kaul further added.

'Howdy, Modi' event in Houston LATEST Updates: A delegation of the Kashmiri Pandit community met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Houston, and "unequivocally supported" the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and it being made part of the rest of the country.

Surinder Kaul, representing the Kashmiri Pandit community said, "PM told us you've suffered a lot. Together we have to build a new Kashmir. Our youth presented him the messages that the community had prepared for him. I presented a memorandum on behalf of the community. He gladly accepted it."

Almost twelve hours ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the Indian diaspora in Houston's NRG Football Stadium, where Beyonce and Taylor Swift have performed and Super Bowls have been held in the past, is abuzz with activity, several publications reported. The event at the NRG Football Stadium, one of the largest in the US, has been organised by the Texas India Forum (TIF), a non-profit organisation.

Donald Trump and Modi both rose to power on nationalist appeals to majority communities in their nations. Both scoff at traditional media and enjoy making pronouncements by Twitter. And the two leaders will bond over the Sunday extravaganza as they visibly symbolise their alliance.

"Some 50,0000 attendees from Indian American communities, and people from the 48 states are attending. It is going to be a historical event, the largest such event held for a democratically elected head of state. No such programme has been held earlier in the past. Senators, Congressmen, mayors and the US President Donald Trump are going to attend," TIF spokesperson Gitesh Desai was quoted as saying. According to reports, the "Howdy, Modi" event at the sprawling NRG Stadium is the largest gathering ever for an elected foreign leader visiting the US, other than the Pope.

"Howdy Houston! It's a bright afternoon here in Houston. Looking forward to a wide range of programmes in this dynamic and energetic city today and tomorrow," Modi tweeted soon after he landed at the George Bush International Airport on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Houston on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Houston on Saturday. Image: MEA/Twitter

The Prime Minister was received by director of the Trade and International Affairs Christopher Olson, US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster, Indian envoy to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla, and other officials on his arrival at the airport to a red carpet welcome. This is the third time that Modi is addressing the Indian diaspora in the US after the event at Madison Square Garden in 2014 and San Jose in 2015, but this time, the scale is larger than the past two events, the organisers have claimed.

"Over the next 24 hours, PM will meet with the industry captains in energy sector & address the Indian American community and their elected representatives at #HowdyModi event, together with @realDonaldTrump," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. While Modi's Wembley address in London in November 2015 had a larger audience, this is the largest gathering of people in the US for a foreign leader, after the Pope, reports noted.

The event "shows the personal chemistry and friendship" between Modi and Trump and "sets a bold precedent which is unconventional and unique," Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the Indian ambassador to the United States, told AFP. Modi, who cruised to a new mandate in elections this year, is fond of mass gatherings on his travels overseas as he seeks to demonstrate his appeal. While no less fond of the limelight, Trump's presence is more unusual.

US presidents rarely join other countries' leaders before diaspora events, and Trump — with a hard line on immigration one of his signature issues — is hardly known for celebrating ethnic diversity.

But with US elections due in 14 months Trump's presence may help soften his image in Houston, one of the most multiethnic US cities and ground zero in the rival Democratic Party's recent gains in the state of Texas, a must-win bastion of his Republican Party.

The four-million-strong Indian-American community also forms an enticing pool of voters. With an average household income of $100,000, Indian-Americans are among the most prosperous US groups.

They are also among the most solidly Democratic. Despite high-profile Indian-American Republicans such as Nikki Haley, Trump's first ambassador to the United Nations, more than 80 percent voted in 2016 for Democrat Hillary Clinton — more than almost any other group other than African-Americans.

Organisers are trying to keep the event non-partisan and have also invited Steny Hoyer, the number-two Democrat in the House of Representatives.

Only accredited volunteers are allowed entry as Houston police watch over one of the biggest sporting venues in the US, The Indian Express reported.  Modi and Trump will address the audience around 10.30 am local time (9 pm IST) on Sunday. Earlier, the plan was to have the address around noon, reports said, which would have been late for the audience in India. Before the public address by the two leaders, there will be a 90-minute cultural event.

Houston gears up for Modi

The Indian American community has been busy preparing for the three-hour show that will see artistes present Indian classical and folk songs and dances, among other numbers. More than a 1,000 Gujaratis from Houston are preparing for a mega 'dandiya', a traditional Gujarati dance, to welcome the prime minister for the event.

Narendra Modi will meet with the industry captains in energy sector & address the Indian American community and their elected representatives. Image: MEA/Twitter

Narendra Modi will meet with the industry captains in energy sector & address the Indian American community and their elected representatives. Image: MEA/Twitter

Several cultural programmes are on the anvil for the show, which has a theme "Woven", signifying how the Indian American community has become part of America, Desai told IANS.  He said more than 100 buses are being provided to ferry the participants.

Massive billboards have come up near the NRG Stadium and across Houston with messages of welcome for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A car rally was also organised in Houston on Friday, ahead of the 'Howdy-Modi' event. Ahead of Modi's arrival on Saturday, the heavy rains in Houston, brought about by Tropical Depression Imelda, have abated. The rains had caused massive flooding across Houston and there were fears it might take off the sheen from the event. Imelda left four people dead.

Texas accounts for 10 percent of India-US trade, about $7 billion worth of US goods and commodities are moved between Texas and India.

Modi meets CEOs from energy sector in Houston

Modi had a "fruitful" meeting with CEOs from the energy sector on the first day of his week-long US visit in Houston on Saturday. CEOs of 17 global energy companies participated in the round table meeting. The combined net worth of companies is $1 trillion with a presence in 150 countries. All companies have some engagement, presence with or in India, ANI reported.

Objective of the meeting was to deepen the energy cooperation of the two sides as part of the strategic energy partnership, the sources added. The CEOs talked about enhancing their footprint in India. They lauded government’s efforts towards ease of doing business, deregulation in the sector, supported reforms and policies and were upbeat on the Indian economy, said sources.

PM meets Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs, Dawoodi Bohras in Houston

A delegation of the Kashmiri Pandit community met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Houston, and "unequivocally supported" the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and it being made part of the rest of the country.

 

PM with top energy sector CEOs at a Roundtable meeting in Houston. Image: MEA/Twitter

PM with top energy sector CEOs at a Roundtable meeting in Houston. Image: MEA/Twitter

He also met a delegation of Sikhs and members of the Dawoodi Bohra community. Members of the Dawoodi Bohra community also met the PM and felicitated him by draping a traditional 'angvastram' around his shoulders.

In another tweet, the PMO said:

Modi also met members of the Sikh community who cheered him and placed an orange 'angvastram' around his shoulders in a mark of felicitation.

With inputs from agencies



from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/30JSLQl
FP Staff

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