Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event in Houston, Texas on Sunday, 22 September. This will be his first US visit after winning a second term as prime minister.
The White House has announced that US President Donald Trump would also be joining Modi at the mega Houston rally as a “special gesture”, to underscore the bond between the two countries.
BloombergQuint’s Kaushik Vaidya speaks to the man behind this unique form of ‘NRI diplomacy’ – Vijay Chauthaiwale, the head of BJP's foreign affairs cell.
‘A Chance to Reconnect’
Discussing the significance of such events, Chauthaiwale said that it gives Indian diaspora a chance to ‘reconnect with India’. The Indian consulates and embassies also become more responsive and efficient, he said.
He added that such events also cause the Indian diaspora to grow in prominence, visibility and stature, giving an example of how the Texan population knew that people were coming in for ‘Howdy, Modi!’.
He said that events like these are only possible because of PM Modi’s global appeal and his personal charisma.
A Outline of the Event
When asked about the particulars of the event, Chauthaiwale outlined how the day will pan out.
He said that the event will commence at 11 am. The preparations and security sweep will be finished early morning, after which the audience will start to fill in, guided by hundreds of volunteers.
The cultural programme will then follow, which will include presentations by local Texan artistes, even as the overall theme will remain Indian. Prime Minister Modi is then scheduled to address the several elected representatives of the US Congress.
Modi and Trump will then take the stage to deliver their respective speeches, in what is expected to be a straightforward and simple manner.
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