Thousands chanted the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in approval as he addressed the Indian diaspora in Dubai on the second day of his visit to the United Arab Emirates. Monday’s event was a big show of strength by the Indian community in Dubai. From NRI business tycoon Yusuf Ali to B R Shetty, who opened his purse strings to support the event, many business heavyweights like Shamseer Vayalil, Azad Moopan, Shamsuddin bin Mohidin and Sudheer Kumar Shetty were among the front row attendees at the mega event.
Modi's speech was preceded by a 90-minute cultural programme to entertain thousands who had entered the stadium soon after the gates opened in the afternoon. The performers included renowned Kerala singer Balabhaskar and artists from southern states, who performed dance forms like Koodiyaatam and Kalaripayattu.
Among the thousands who turned up to get a glimpse of Modi was Yusuf, a chartered accountant who has been in Dubai for the last three years. “After 34 years an Indian Prime Minister is visiting this country. That is the most important factor. So I thought as an Indian I should be here. It is my responsibility to be here and listen to my prime minister…He has taken a lot of initiatives and we will not see the effects within ten months or one year. We will have to give him a chance,” Yusuf, who stood in a long queue hours before the speech to enter the stadium, said.
When asked about Modi's communal image, he said: “During his Independence Day speech he made it clear that he does not want any kind of casteism or religious intolerance. In that sense, he is completely secular. The Supreme Court had given the SIT a work to do. The SIT has given him a clean chit. So, I don’t think I can find fault with that; and right now he is the prime minister. He was elected by the people in a democratic way. So I should respect him.”
Rajinder Sathe from Maharashtra’s Panvel said he had attended the PM’s meeting in Seoul too and managed to click a selfie with him. As he hurriedly entered the stadium, four hours before the address, Sathe declared, “he says exactly what the common man feels. He is down to earth. We feel something may change in India.”
Rohini from Hyderabad was there with her young daughter, while her husband and brother had taken a short-leave from work to attend Modi’s address. Asked about Modi’s achievements in office, Rohini - who has been in Dubai for a decade - said: “You are comparing one year with 69 years. That is not fair. Give him some time….His ideology, work and everything is good and an inspiration.”
Among the huge crowd was Makhan Lal, a director in a construction company, who had come all the way from Bahrain along with 1,000-odd Indians. “I am a big fan of his. He works for the common man,” he said, underlining Modi frenzied fan following among the Indian diaspora.
