Male, June 09: India's image has tremendously transformed in the last five years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while interacting with the Indian diaspora in Sri Lanka at the India House here on Sunday.
"I thank the Indian community for coming to meet us here. It is always a delight to interact with the Indian diaspora," he said during his address.
He talked about the Indian elections, outlining how people have delivered a "clear-cut" mandate. "Democracy is a part of India's ethos...After independence, this is the largest voter turnout that the elections saw," he told the gathering. One member from the gathering shouted "2030 Modiji!" during his speech, which invited laughter from the leader. "India's image in the world is tremendously changing. There is a very good image of India and the Indian diaspora here has done a tremendous work to prove it through their hard work. There are many Indians in every part of the world and I am sure there won't be any form of complaint against them," Modi said while addressing the gathering. He said that India has achieved a lot in the last five years and much more will be done in the coming years. "We have achieved a lot in the last five years and much more has to be done in the coming years. No stone will be left unturned to fulfil people's aspirations," he said. Highlighting the relationship shared between the Indian government and the country's expatriates, he said, "I am happy to share that the Indian community overseas and the Government of India are on the same page when it comes to several issues." Modi said it was a matter of pride that every leader he met during his foreign tours in the last five years appreciated the Indian diaspora residing in that nation. Thanking the Indian citizens for the mandate the Bharatiya Janata Party received in the recently concluded general election, Modi appreciated the citizen's decision making and understanding. "This is a matter of research for the entire world even if they keep talking a lot about the education and other parameters in India. They need to appreciate the democratic understanding of the Indians," he said. "They must be wondering how was it possible to organise such a massive election with over 900 million voters," he said. Modi arrived in Colombo from Maldives where he held wide-ranging talks with Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Saturday.