In France, PM Modi talks about friendship between both nations
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a visit to France for the G7 Summit, addressed the Indian diaspora at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on Friday. Starting his speech with "Bonjour, mes amis", PM Modi said the ties between India and France are unbreakable. He spoke about the historic mandate which BJP got and underlined India is taking huge strides towards a better future.
PM Modi said India and France have stood by each other during difficult times. He said the bond has only become stronger with each passing day. "India and France have fought and lived for one another," he said, amid a huge round of applause. He added, "The character of the two countries is built on shared values of liberty, equality, and fraternity."
"Today in 21st century we talk of INFRA. I would like to say that for me it is IN+FRA, which means the alliance between India and France. We have fought imperialism, fascism, and extremism not only in India but also on French soil," he said.
To note, PM Modi also remotely unveiled a memorial for Air India crash victims, who lost their lives in two separate airplane accidents in 1950 and 1966, at St. Gervais. "I salute all those, including the great Indian nuclear physicist Homi Bhaba, who lost their lives in the two crashes," PM Modi said. He also thanked the French administration for the warm welcome.
A heartfelt tribute
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) August 23, 2019
PM @narendramodi remotely unveiled the Memorial for Air India crash victims in two airplane crashes in 1950 and 1966 at St. Gervais at a community event in #Paris. pic.twitter.com/Puczh2Ltqn
Speaking about Article 370, without explicitly mentioning it, PM Modi said, "India doesn't have a place for anything temporary now. It took 70 years to remove the word temporary." He was referring to temporary provisions of the contentious article which bestowed a special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier this month, his government revoked it and split J&K into two UTs.
Flaunting what his government achieved, PM Modi said, "I have come to a nation of football lovers, you very well know the importance of a goal, that is the ultimate achievement. In the last 5 years, we set goals which were earlier considered impossible to fulfill." He said the new government didn't spend time in celebrations but got to work instead and took major decisions.
PM Modi said Triple Talaq has been made a punishable offense, a new ministry has been set up to deal with water problems, and he also talked Chandrayaan-II, ISRO's historic moon mission. "Corruption, nepotism, looting of public money; the way terrorism is being curbed in new India today has never happened," he asserted. He also claimed India would eradicate tuberculosis by 2025.
Further, he told community that while they are connected to India because of lineage, they have a relationship with France because of their hard work. "I was told that Ganesh Mahotsav has become important part of Paris's cultural calendar. On this day Paris looks like mini India, which means in some days we will hear 'Ganpati Bappa Morya' chants here as well," he added.
