Ritu Jha-
There is no dearth of diaspora support for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and several BJP-friendly and other Indian American community organizations have planned a blitz to welcome and honor him during his state visit to Washington DC at the invitation of President Joe Biden.
Biden is scheduled to host Modi at an official State Dinner on June 22, while and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have invited him to address a joint session of Congress. Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to address the joint session twice. He had addressed one in 2017.
Modi will lead the International Yoga Day program at the United Nations on June 21, and is scheduled to meet business leaders at events hosted by USISPF, the Indian American community and BJP karyakartas at dinner on June 23.
Adapa Prasad, President of Overseas Friends of BJP-USA (OFBJP), told indica, “It’s an historic event…. PM Narendra Modi invited as a state guest for the first time and is the second one to get that honor after Manmohan Singh (who was hosted by then President Barack Obama).”
“It’s an honor for India and entire Indian diaspora. “We are excited and proud of the growing deeper strategic friendship with the United States, Quad, science and technology, defense, you name it,” Prasad said.
To welcome Modi even before his official visit starts, the OFBJP is organizing a string of India Unity Day march across the US on June 18. Prasad said 28 Indian organizations will come together at the Washington Memorial in the national capital on that day.
India Unity Day will be observed in 20 cities, including at prominent locations such as Times Square in New York and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Prasad said Modi will land in the US on June 20, and to welcome him, the Indian American community will line up on the street by the evening. He said they have planned a cultural show on June 21 in Washington, DC.
Modi will be visiting Washington DC on June 21 soon after International Yoga Day celebrations at the UN in New York City. The Indian diaspora has planned a community event at Freedom Plaza in Washington DC, close to the White House.
“The Freedom Plaza event will begin at 4 pm and will continue till 8 pm to welcome Modiji,” Prasad said. He said Congressmen and US state delegates are expected to stop by and greet the Indian American community.
A major cultural event with 25 different groups representing 15 states in India will perform India’s various traditional dances – Kuchipudi (from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh), Bharatanatyam (from Tamil Nadu), Bhangra (from Punjab), etc.
“This is the first time such a cultural show will take place in an open public place,” Prasad said. “We will showcase India’s cultural diversity.”
Long-time Modi supporter and a leading allergy and immunology expert Dr Sudhir Sekhsaria and another medical expert Dr Bharat Barai will co-host a community dinner with Modi on June 23.
Dr Sekhsaria told indica, “Five thousand people are expected to attend the White House event. This is historic.”
The community dinner at Washington DC’s Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center is hosted by the newly formed US India Community Foundation (USICF). The organizers expect around 1000 guests and a couple of hundred sponsors along with Sangh workers, according to Dr. Sekhsaria.
He said it’s a ticketed event because hosting an event at Ronald Reagan comes at a high cost. Dr. Sekhsaria said Modi will leave after the speech and then people will have a round-table dinner after that.
Dr. Barai, the main host of the community dinner, told indica he wanted to host Modi in Chicago and kept the stadium booked until April, but since the White House did not give a firm date or a firm schedule, “We did not know which time slot would work and had to cancel the booking.”
The White House announced Modi’s state dinner in the third week of May.
Dr Barai said, “You cannot do arrangements for 50,000 people and raise $2 million in just three weeks.” We had reserved the Soldier Field and United Center arenas from March until April. But this is Modi’s state visit, so he is a guest of the White House and all programs have to be finalized by them.”
He added, “PM was gracious enough to give us two hours. He was supposed to leave at 6:30 pm, but now will fly back after the community meeting at 9:30 pm.”
Modi will speak on the “Role of Indian Diaspora towards India’s Growth Story.”
Dr Barai said people have been asked to donate $5000 each to cover the hosting cost of approximately $400,000.”
