Athen: On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that India has proven its capability to the world by unveiling the tricolour on the Moon, and that the country's science, technology, and creativity are making waves around the world.
Speaking to the Indian community in Athens, he highlighted the significant progress made under his administration over the past decade, saying that never before had so much money been put into improving the country's infrastructure.
He pointed out that the distance between the Earth and the Moon is less than half of the 25 lakh km of optical fibre cable that has been constructed in India since 2014. A record number of 700 Indian regions now have access to India's homegrown 5G network, he announced to applause.
He said that India is now home to the world's tallest statue, largest cricket stadium, and highest-altitude rail bridge.
During times of joy and festivals, he remarked, "one wants to be among family members," referring to India's historic achievement of landing its spacecraft on the Moon. Saying, "I am now among my family members," he felt at home with his relatives.
Modi stated that India has received several messages of congratulations from all across the world for the successful moon expedition.
He mentioned the social media photographs of the Moon welcoming India's Rakhi, Chandrayaan-3, in preparation for the upcoming Raksha Bandhan festival.
He claimed that India was the first nation to land a spacecraft at the Moon's south pole, or the "dark" zone.
"Wherever you may be, your hearts beat for India," he remarked, adding that the Indian community in many nations blends in with local populations like sugar with milk and makes significant contributions to those societies.
He said that the Indian economy is thriving, with praise coming from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Top firms are competing to set up shop in India, he said, adding that India's status in the post-COVID-19 international system is rapidly shifting.
The prime minister made reference to the longstanding friendship between Indian and Greek cultures, and he lauded the contributions of Sikh gurus to that friendship.
He also noted that his administration's efforts to mark significant Sikh dates had been thorough. Guru Nanak had travelled extensively throughout Greece, spreading his message of peace and unity.
Both Vadnagar in Gujarat, where he was born, and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, where he represents a Lok Sabha constituency, have been thriving cities since antiquity, Modi claimed.
He claimed that more than 13.5 crore people have been lifted out of poverty by his administration, and that as the economy expands, people's incomes rise along with them, encouraging them to increase their investment in the country.
Whether it was the crisis between Russia and Ukraine or the fighting in Afghanistan, he said, India always put the security of her citizens first.
In addition, he said, the Indian government treated Sikh'saroop' (physical copies of Sri Guru Granth Sahib) with the utmost reverence when it returned them from Afghanistan.
Increasing travel to India, Modi predicted that, similar to the way Indians travel to Greece, Greeks would soon begin visiting India to experience the country's cultural richness and biological diversity.
With only 2.5% of the world's landmass, India is home to over 8% of the world's bio-diversity and 75% of the world's tiger population, he urged the Indian diaspora in Greece to spread the word.
He remarked, "Modern India rejoices in its history while also drawing connections between preservation and progress."—Inputs from Agencies