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First of all many-many congratulations to all of you, to the people of Haryana and Delhi for operationalization of Bahadurgarh-Mundka Metro Line.

Today, Bahadurgarh in Haryana has been linked with Delhi Metro. After Gurugram and Faridabad, Bahadurgarh is third large area of Haryana which has now been connected with Delhi Metro. After the public dedication of this line today, the length of Metro Network in Haryana has become 26 kilometers.

Friends,

Everyone who has ever travelled in Delhi Metro is a witness to the fact that how Delhi Metro has changed the lives of people. I myself have several times travelled in Delhi Metro. The people travelling on Bahadurgarh-Mundka line will also experience this thing from today onwards.

People in Bahadurgarhhave been eagerly waiting for the Metrobecause of the rapiddevelopment of industries there. Also, several colleges, institutes and universities are located in Bahadurgarh and a lot of students from Delhi travel to Bahadurgarh daily. Now it will become much easier for the lakhs of entrepreneurs, students and people engaged in different professions in this area to travel to Delhi.

Usually Bahadurgarh has been called the Gateway of Haryana, however, this Metro line has reached here as a Gateway of Development.

When industries will grow, this Metro will make people’s lives easier, new colonies will be established, and new avenues of employment will be created. The relationship between connectivity and development can be properly understood through this metro network.

At present, 280 kilometers long metro line is operational in Delhi. The rapid pace with which it has been expanding, very soonDelhi will be known for having the fifth largest Metro Network after Shanghai, Beijing, London and New York.

Friends, the dream that has been realized in Delhi, the kind of results of unshakable resolvesare being witnessed by the people of Delhi-NCR, the same kind of efforts are made throughout the country.

Earlier the biggest drawback in the Metro related work was that this work was done in every city in a different way. There was no policy for the Metro and the work related to it.And that is why there were no set parameters, no set standards for this thing. Politicians used to decide about the stations as per their liking and the decisions were taken as per the interests of different departments.

Now all these things have been taken into consideration after formulating the first Metro Policy of the country in 2017. Entire transport system of cities has been integrated so that the people don’t have to face problem in going from one station to another or for reaching to their offices or homes. Now, if the Metro is being developed anywhere in the country, it will be developed on the same set of standards.

Friends, it is the commitment of this government to provide a smart, easy, affordable and clean public transport system in the cities as per the requirements of the 21st century.

Today, the Metro Network has been expanded into the 12 cities of the country. State governments have been encouraged to connect different cities of the country. In addition to this metro coaches are also being manufactured in the country.

Modern plants have been set up in Vadodara in Gujarat and Chennai in Tamil Nadu. The government has amended the procurement policy to encourage the Make in India scheme in metro projects and now it has been made compulsory to use nearly 75% of the items that have been produced in India.

Friends,

Metro Network has been an excellent example of our international relations and cooperation. Earlier several countries of the world helped us in the development of metro network and now India is gearing up to supply metro coaches to several countries of the world.

Not only international relations but it is also an excellent example of this thing that how the cooperative federalism works. Today, ifmetro network is being developed in any state of the country, it is being developed with the active participation of the centre and state governments.

Friends,

If we talk about Delhi-NCR then the speed with which the Metro Network has been developed, it has removed the requirement of 6 lakh vehicles per day.

The metro has saved people’s money and time and it has also done the job of reducing pollution. In addition to the metro, the government has been working to revamp the entire transport system in Delhi-NCR and develop it as per the requirements of the people.

The work on regional rapid transport system is also being done to connect Delhi to Sonipat, Alwar and Meerut through high speed rail.

In addition to this, the work on building a network of expressways around Delhi is also being done at a fast speed. People have been making effort to finish that work.

A few days ago, I have dedicated to the public the first leg of this project - Eastern Peripheral Express way. The work on Western Peripheral Express way in Haryana is also being done. The peripheral expressway has reduced the number of small and large vehicles passing through Delhi by 25-30%.

While it has definitely reduced traffic, it has also brought down a major factor responsible for pollution.

Brothers and sisters,

A new and smart infrastructure for a New India is a commitment of this government.

The maximum investment in the infrastructure related to roads, railways, waterways has been made in the last four years. Emphasis has been placed on improving connectivity from Kargil to Kanyakumari, from Kutch to Kamakhya. Whether these are the longest tunnels or the largest bridges, all these things are completed in time one after another. The work forbuilding 35,000 kilometers long modern highways has been started in the country under the Bharat Mala project.

In the near future, while on the one hand more than 100 waterways, bullet trains will bring about a major change in the country’s transport system on the other hand small airports being developed in small cities will help the people’s courage to reach to the skies. This modern infrastructure will help our cities to become the centre of growth in the 21st century. The more infrastructure will be strengthened in different parts of the country, the more convenient the connectivity will become, the more support different modes of transport will provide to each other the more easier the lives of people will become, the more opportunities for employment creation and business will be created.

Friends,

Active participation of all of you, the common people, is extremely essential in the efforts made by the government. Otherwise, it is not possible.

Please come forward, let us make even more efforts for the development of this infrastructure which is being built for a New India.

Once again many-many congratulations to the people of Haryana and Bahadurgarh, may our citizens take advantage of it and get rid of personal vehicles.

I conclude my speech.

Thank you very much.

 

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Text of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the Indian Community in Guyana
November 22, 2024

Your Excellency President Irfan Ali,
Prime Minister Mark Philips,
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo,
Former President Donald Ramotar,
Members of the Guyanese Cabinet,
Members of the Indo-Guyanese Community,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Namaskar!

Seetaram !

I am delighted to be with all of you today.First of all, I want to thank President Irfan Ali for joining us.I am deeply touched by the love and affection given to me since my arrival.I thank President Ali for opening the doors of his home to me.

I thank his family for their warmth and kindness. The spirit of hospitality is at the heart of our culture. I could feel that, over the last two days. With President Ali and his grandmother, we also planted a tree. It is part of our initiative, "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam", that is, "a tree for mother”. It was an emotional moment that I will always remember.

Friends,

I was deeply honoured to receive the ‘Order of Excellence’, the highest national award of Guyana. I thank the people of Guyana for this gesture. This is an honour of 1.4 billion Indians. It is the recognition of the 3 lakh strong Indo-Guyanese community and their contributions to the development of Guyana.

Friends,

I have great memories of visiting your wonderful country over two decades ago. At that time, I held no official position. I came to Guyana as a traveller, full of curiosity. Now, I have returned to this land of many rivers as the Prime Minister of India. A lot of things have changed between then and now. But the love and affection of my Guyanese brothers and sisters remains the same! My experience has reaffirmed - you can take an Indian out of India, but you cannot take India out of an Indian.

Friends,

Today, I visited the India Arrival Monument. It brings to life, the long and difficult journey of your ancestors nearly two centuries ago. They came from different parts of India. They brought with them different cultures, languages and traditions. Over time, they made this new land their home. Today, these languages, stories and traditions are part of the rich culture of Guyana.

I salute the spirit of the Indo-Guyanese community. You fought for freedom and democracy. You have worked to make Guyana one of the fastest growing economies. From humble beginnings you have risen to the top. Shri Cheddi Jagan used to say: "It matters not what a person is born, but who they choose to be.”He also lived these words. The son of a family of labourers, he went on to become a leader of global stature.

President Irfan Ali, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, former President Donald Ramotar, they are all Ambassadors of the Indo Guyanese community. Joseph Ruhomon, one of the earliest Indo-Guyanese intellectuals, Ramcharitar Lalla, one of the first Indo-Guyanese poets, Shana Yardan, the renowned woman poet, Many such Indo-Guyanese made an impact on academics and arts, music and medicine.

Friends,

Our commonalities provide a strong foundation to our friendship. Three things, in particular, connect India and Guyana deeply. Culture, cuisine and cricket! Just a couple of weeks ago, I am sure you all celebrated Diwali. And in a few months, when India celebrates Holi, Guyana will celebrate Phagwa.

This year, the Diwali was special as Ram Lalla returned to Ayodhya after 500 years. People in India remember that the holy water and shilas from Guyana were also sent to build the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Despite being oceans apart, your cultural connection with Mother India is strong.

I could feel this when I visited the Arya Samaj Monument and Saraswati Vidya Niketan School earlier today. Both India and Guyana are proud of our rich and diverse culture. We see diversity as something to be celebrated, not just accommodated. Our countries are showing how cultural diversity is our strength.

Friends,

Wherever people of India go, they take one important thing along with them. The food! The Indo-Guyanese community also has a unique food tradition which has both Indian and Guyanese elements. I am aware that Dhal Puri is popular here! The seven-curry meal that I had at President Ali’s home was delicious. It will remain a fond memory for me.

Friends,

The love for cricket also binds our nations strongly. It is not just a sport. It is a way of life, deeply embedded in our national identity. The Providence National Cricket Stadium in Guyana stands as a symbol of our friendship.

Kanhai, Kalicharan, Chanderpaul are all well-known names in India. Clive Lloyd and his team have been a favourite of many generations. Young players from this region also have a huge fan base in India. Some of these great cricketers are here with us today. Many of our cricket fans enjoyed the T-20 World Cup that you hosted this year.

Your cheers for the ‘Team in Blue’ at their match in Guyana could be heard even back home in India!

Friends,

This morning, I had the honour of addressing the Guyanese Parliament. Coming from the Mother of Democracy, I felt the spiritual connect with one of the most vibrant democracies in the Caribbean region. We have a shared history that binds us together. Common struggle against colonial rule, love for democratic values, And, respect for diversity.

We have a shared future that we want to create. Aspirations for growth and development, Commitment towards economy and ecology, And, belief in a just and inclusive world order.

Friends,

I know the people of Guyana are well-wishers of India. You would be closely watching the progress being made in India. India’s journey over the past decade has been one of scale, speed and sustainability.

In just 10 years, India has grown from the tenth largest economy to the fifth largest. And, soon, we will become the third-largest. Our youth have made us the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world. India is a global hub for e-commerce, AI, fintech, agriculture, technology and more.

We have reached Mars and the Moon. From highways to i-ways, airways to railways, we are building state of art infrastructure. We have a strong service sector. Now, we are also becoming stronger in manufacturing. India has become the second largest mobile manufacturer in the world.

Friends,

India’s growth has not only been inspirational but also inclusive. Our digital public infrastructure is empowering the poor. We opened over 500 million bank accounts for the people. We connected these bank accounts with digital identity and mobiles. Due to this, people receive assistance directly in their bank accounts. Ayushman Bharat is the world’s largest free health insurance scheme. It is benefiting over 500 million people.

We have built over 30 million homes for those in need. In just one decade, we have lifted 250 million people out of poverty. Even among the poor, our initiatives have benefited women the most. Millions of women are becoming grassroots entrepreneurs, generating jobs and opportunities.

Friends,

While all this massive growth was happening, we also focused on sustainability. In just a decade, our solar energy capacity grew 30-fold ! Can you imagine ?We have moved towards green mobility, with 20 percent ethanol blending in petrol.

At the international level too, we have played a central role in many initiatives to combat climate change. The International Solar Alliance, The Global Biofuels Alliance, The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Many of these initiatives have a special focus on empowering the Global South.

We have also championed the International Big Cat Alliance. Guyana, with its majestic Jaguars, also stands to benefit from this.

Friends,

Last year, we had hosted President Irfaan Ali as the Chief Guest of the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas. We also received Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo in India. Together, we have worked to strengthen bilateral cooperation in many areas.

Today, we have agreed to widen the scope of our collaboration -from energy to enterprise,Ayurveda to agriculture, infrastructure to innovation, healthcare to human resources, anddata to development. Our partnership also holds significant value for the wider region. The second India-CARICOM summit held yesterday is testament to the same.

As members of the United Nations, we both believe in reformed multilateralism. As developing countries, we understand the power of the Global South. We seek strategic autonomy and support inclusive development. We prioritize sustainable development and climate justice. And, we continue to call for dialogue and diplomacy to address global crises.

Friends,

I always call our diaspora the Rashtradoots. An Ambassador is a Rajdoot, but for me you are all Rashtradoots. They are Ambassadors of Indian culture and values. It is said that no worldly pleasure can compare to the comfort of a mother’s lap.

You, the Indo-Guyanese community, are doubly blessed. You have Guyana as your motherland and Bharat Mata as your ancestral land. Today, when India is a land of opportunities, each one of you can play a bigger role in connecting our two countries.

Friends,

Bharat Ko Janiye Quiz has been launched. I call upon you to participate. Also encourage your friends from Guyana. It will be a good opportunity to understand India, its values, culture and diversity.

Friends,

Next year, from 13 January to 26 February, Maha Kumbh will be held at Prayagraj. I invite you to attend this gathering with families and friends. You can travel to Basti or Gonda, from where many of you came. You can also visit the Ram Temple at Ayodhya. There is another invite.

It is for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas that will be held in Bhubaneshwar in January. If you come, you can also take the blessings of Mahaprabhu Jagannath in Puri. Now with so many events and invitations, I hope to see many of you in India soon. Once again, thank you all for the love and affection you have shown me.

Thank you.
Thank you very much.

And special thanks to my friend Ali. Thanks a lot.