Big stars lining up for Narendra Modi reception in New York

Washington, Sept 17: Young Indian-American pop star sensation Anjali Ranadive, popular playback singer Kavita Subramaniam along with renowned violinist L Subramaniam would perform at a public reception being hosted by Indian-American community for Prime Minister

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Ranadive, the daughter of the Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, would sing the US anthem, and Subramaniam would lend her voice to the Indian anthem before Modi's much anticipated speech to the Diaspora at the historic Madison Square Garden on September 28.

Subramaniam would enthrall the audience with his mesmerizing violin performance at Modi's reception being organised by the Indian-American Community Foundation (IACF), which was created recently to promote cooperation between the US and India and advance the shared values of democracy.

IACF had earlier announced that Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri and PBS NewsHour Weekend Anchor Hari Sreenivasan will emcee the event; thus adding a star line up to the Modi's reception, which is expected to be attended by a number of US lawmakers, governors and city leaders.

Modi's speech will be beamed live at Times Square

In a statement, IACF spokesperson Anand Shah said a spectacular laser light show, holograms of India’s historical luminaries, and live folk dances will precede Modi’s speech.

"Prime Minister Modi taking the stage along with dozens of America's most important political leaders in front of tens of thousands of cheering supporters will demonstrate the potential of a relationship across borders," Shah said.

"The time has come for the world’s most significant democracies - India and America - to join together on a platform of mutual respect and shared values," he said. To accommodate the thousands of people who were not lucky enough to get one of the 18,000 free tickets, the event would be broadcast live at the iconic Crystal Tower of the Times Square, with real time English sub-titles.

"The incredible demand to be a part of Indian American history in greeting Prime Minister Modi has pushed us to find more ways to let the community participate," Shah said.

"And that is why we decided to broadcast the event in Times Square, stream it online at www.pmvisit.org, and provide English subtitles and audio translation - ensuring that as many people as possible could be part of what promises to be one of the largest ever gatherings to hear a foreign leader speak on American soil."

The IACF is also helping student groups and community organizers arrange "viewing parties" in their local areas. Anticipating that thousands of people would be converging to mid-town Manhattan on September 28, local public transportation system in co-ordination with IACF have announced to run special buses, trains throughout the day.

PTI