Congressional Record statements become a part of American history and are accessed by generations to come. That is why, to recognize Shri Modi’s leadership, Representative Faleomavaega inserted his statement in the Congressional Records. The Representative wanted to present a copy of his statement to Shri Modi personally but was not able to do so, which is why Mr. Puri did the needful.
Representative Faleomavaega’s Congressional Record statement dated February 13th 2013 congratulates the Chief Minister and lauds him for his commitment towards inclusive development. It is also among his first statements while serving in the 113th Congress. He said, “In one of my first acts of the 113th Congress as the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific…I rise today to congratulate Shri Narendra Modi on his re-election as Chief Minister of India’s Gujarat state.” He describes Shri Modi’s 4th innings as CM as a historic achievement and points out that this feat is unparalleled in the history of Gujarat.
On the development of Gujarat Representative Faleomavaega stated, “Since 2001, CM Modi has led a decade of unprecedented growth and development in Gujarat. Because of his extraordinary leadership, Gujarat is now an economic powerhouse with companies like Ford and General Motors also setting up factories in a move that promises to strengthen US-India trade and investment.” He termed the biennial Vibrant Gujarat summits as, “an example of CM Modi’s visionary approach for inclusive development.”
He lauds Shri Modi’s vision to take development to the doorstep of the poorest of the poor and adds, “I believe CM Modi’s approach to empowerment is why Gujarat is now the global gateway to India.” Representative Faleomavaega affirms that Shri Modi’s connection to Mahatma Gandhi strikes him. “It is little wonder that Gujarat state, having historically given leadership to the entire nation and now ranked first in economic freedom in India, continues to brighten the hopes and dreams of so many.”
In his statement that is now recorded in the Congressional Records, Representative Faleomavaega calls for closer ties between Gujarat and USA as well as support for Shri Modi’s ideas of development.
This is not the first time Shri Modi has been praised in the USA Congress. Earlier, Representative Aaron Schock congratulated Shri Modi for leading the BJP to victory in the House of Representatives. Representative Schock noted that Shri Modi ran on a platform of prosperity for all and was elected by a wide coalition consisting of voters from every religion, education and class of society. It must be noted that Representative Schock belongs to the Republican Party while Representative Faleomavaega is a Democratic, illustrating that both leading parties of USA have taken note of the decade of peace and prosperity in Gujarat. In September 2011 a USA Congressional Think Tank lauded Gujarat and termed Shri Modi as the ‘King of Governance.’
Representative Faleomavaega expresses displeasure over recent Wharton episode
In another statement, Representative Faleomavaega hit out at the recent episode at Wharton. He termed the cancellation of the invite to Shri Modi as a keynote speaker as disappointing and noted that Wharton did so, “in response to a protest from a segment of professors and students who are reaching beyond the law and coming awfully close to violating the rights of others who have a different view.”
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Read complete text of Reprehensive Faleomavaega that has been inserted in USA Congressional Records:
Shri Modi with Representative Eni Faleomavaega in 2010
