Indian Prime Minister’s recent visit came under a lot of criticism from Australians as well as Indian students 

By Meenakshi P

When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked into Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, hand in hand with Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, a 30,000 strong enthused Indian diaspora was waiting to greet them.

The crowd erupted into the now familiar chants of ‘Modi Modi’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, signalling the flagging off of the great jamboree that Modi’s supporters are known for. The venue was pulsating with the sounds of manjeeras and dhols and the roar of the crowds as the two heads of state entered the stadium. To a detached observer it would seem like Melbourne was getting ready to host a rockstar—a term Albanese has used in the past to describe Modi.

Months before Modi’s visit to Melbourne (his third in a row since 2014), over 400 local community groups and volunteers under the aegis of Australia India Foundation had begun their outreach to get the Indian diaspora involved in the event. Modi’s team headed by a Yogendra Verma (based in Melbourne) had reached Australia to co-ordinate with various cultural organisations, religious groups and businesses.

The Goan Overseas Association, Anjuman-e-Saifee (a well-established Bohra Muslim trust that watches over 600 families across Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide), Melbourne Christian Assembly and Australian Sikh Council were all reportedly approached to be a part of the Melbourne Meets Modi event. Organisers registered over 400 diverse organisations from the Indian diaspora with over 600 volunteers helping to put together the event and clocking up 30,000 volunteer hours.

Local temples invited registrations from their communities for the Modi Meets Melbourne event receiving an enthusiastic response. It was reported in the Australian media that chartered flights were flown in from different states for the event. I could personally attest to one flight full of families from Sydney.