Auckland, July 11 (IANS) As he addressed a massive diaspora gathering in Auckland, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reminisced about his first visit to New Zealand at the start of the millennium and the special souvenirs he had brought back to India from the trip.
Addressing a grand Indian diaspora event in Auckland titled 'Kia Ora Modi' alongside his New Zealand counterpart, Christopher Luxon, PM Modi highlighted that he has brought with him the best wishes of 140 crore Indians and that it is his "great fortune" to become the first Indian PM in 40 years to visit New Zealand.
"Around 25-30 years ago, when I wasn't part of any government and no one knew me much in public life, I had the opportunity to visit New Zealand. At that time, someone gave me three items: a muffler, a cap and a glove. I have brought one of those things to this event today... this muffler which I have kept close to me and used many times all these years... I got this along especially as I came to know it was quite cold here... I take care of it, just like I take care of your love for me," said PM Modi to thunderous cheers from the crowd.
On Friday, members of the Indian diaspora, while giving a rousing welcome to PM Modi, recalled his visit to the country in 2001 during which the Indian leader had focused on preservation of Indian culture and traditions.
Dinesh Pahuja, a member of the Indian community in New Zealand, shared his memories of PM Modi's earlier visit with 'Modi Story', a popular social media handle on X dedicated to the dissemination of details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inspiring life journey.
He recalled that during the visit, which took place just before he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat, the BJP leader had visited a Gujarati school and enquired about the Indian values and culture being imparted to children there.
“Here, a Gujarati School was started, where they used to work on teaching the language to small children. When Modi ji went there, he asked them, whether you only teach language here, or do you also include some discussion about Indian values and culture,” Pahuja noted in an interview with the 'Modi Story' handle.
According to him, after knowing that the school only focuses on language learning, PM Modi pointed out the importance of learning the culture of India in order to keep the children connected to their motherland and to help them understand the development that is taking place in India.
“So, it came to notice that they were only emphasising on language, so that children learn Indian dialects. Modi ji said that through this Gujarati school, we could keep the children connected to their motherland and give them knowledge about their culture. This, he said, would help them in understanding India better,” Pahuja said while recalling PM Modi’s emphasis on cultural learning.
“While visiting a 'Gujarati School' run by the Manukau Indian Association, Modi ji suggested embedding cultural values and heritage into the curriculum. His goal? To ensure young children didn't just speak the language, but stayed proudly connected to their Indian roots and values,” Modi Story wrote on X.
–IANS
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