Washington, Oct 3 (IANS) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has described Indian-Americans as a “living bridge” between India and the United States, urging them to remain committed to their adopted country while retaining a place in their hearts for their motherland.

Addressing members of the Indian community in the Chicago area after paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, Goyal said their contribution to American society also helped bring the two countries closer.

“Each one of you are the living bridge between the United States and India. Each one of you is an ambassador of India to the United States,” Goyal said.

He thanked Indian-Americans for their contributions to the United States and urged them to remain loyal to the country that had given them opportunities, prosperity and a future.

“Be loyal to it, be honest to it, work hard for your nation,” he said. “But always keep in your mind, in your heart, a little place for your mother and for all the people.”

Goyal’s remarks came during a day in Chicago in which he visited sites associated with two of India’s most recognised figures — Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda.

On Gandhi Jayanti, the minister paid floral tributes at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Sculpture in Skokie, Illinois.

“Mahatma Gandhi ji's timeless ideals of non-violence, simplicity and truth, deeply rooted in India's civilisational ethos, continue to guide and inspire humanity across generations,” Goyal said in a post on X.

Speaking to the community, Goyal recalled Gandhi’s emphasis on non-violence, equality and concern for marginalised sections of society. He also invoked the influence of Gandhi’s ideas in the United States.

“The statue today in Chicago in a way also gives us a deep message that while India may be thousands of miles away from here, the ideas that left behind are living in all of you in Chicago,” he said.

Goyal also offered a strong assurance of India’s support to Indians living overseas, saying New Delhi remained attentive when its citizens faced crises abroad.

“We back home are watching your back. We care for you and you will always have us as a support,” he said, citing crises in Yemen, Ukraine and elsewhere. “Your nation, your motherland will always stand by you, will be there for you, for your families, for your children.”

Earlier, Goyal visited Fullerton Hall at the Art Institute of Chicago, associated with Swami Vivekananda’s historic appearance at the World’s Parliament of Religions in 1893.

“At the place that once echoed with thunderous applause for Swami Vivekananda ji,” Goyal wrote on X, saying Vivekananda had shared India’s ethos of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” with the world through his address on September 11, 1893.

“May Swami Vivekanand ji's timeless message of universal brotherhood and spiritual wisdom continue to guide us,” he said.

Goyal later paid floral tributes to Vivekananda at the Consulate General of India in Chicago.

In his remarks, the minister said Vivekananda’s ideas continued to inspire Indians and the diaspora. He described the monk as a young Indian who arrived in the United States proud of his heritage, traditions and culture, and used the Chicago platform to speak about Hinduism and the unity of different faiths.

--IANS

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