More than 24,000 members of the Indian diaspora have registered to attend a major community event featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi next month.
The event, titled ‘Modi & US: Progress Together,’ is set for September 22 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which accommodates up to 15,000 attendees.
The Indo-American Community of USA (IACU) announced on Tuesday that over 24,000 Indian-Americans have signed up for this significant gathering. The Prime Minister will address the audience at this event.
Modi is also scheduled to speak at the high-level UN General Assembly session on September 26, according to a provisional schedule from the UN.
The IACU revealed that registrations for the Uniondale, Long Island event have been facilitated through 590 community organizations across the U.S., all participating as ‘Welcome Partners.’
Indian-Americans from at least 42 states are expected to attend, with especially strong interest from the tri-state area.
A key organizer of the event stated, “We’re committed to ensuring as many people as possible can participate in this historic event.” They added, “We’re going to do our best to expand seating arrangements and coordinate with our Welcome Partners to prioritize final seat allocations to those who will confirm they expect to attend.”
The IACU emphasized that the ‘Modi & US’ event will be a noteworthy celebration of the diverse Indian-American community. Attendees will include members from various religious backgrounds such as Jewish, Zoroastrian, Jain, Christian, Sikh, Muslim, and Hindu communities. The event will also reflect India’s linguistic diversity with representatives speaking Hindi, Telugu, Punjabi, Tamil, Bengali, Malayalam, Gujarati, among others.
In addition to Modi’s address, the event will feature cultural performances and appearances by prominent Indian-Americans from fields like business, science, entertainment, and the arts.
The IACU, a not-for-profit organization, promotes unity and understanding within the Indo-American community through cultural events and public programs.
This event in Long Island marks a decade since Modi addressed a large community gathering at Madison Square Garden in New York in September 2014, shortly after becoming Prime Minister. In 2019, Modi participated in the ‘Howdy Modi’ event at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, alongside former President Donald Trump. His current visit to the U.S. occurs just before the presidential election in November, where Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris are competing for the top office.
The high-level General Debate for the 79th session of the UN General Assembly will take place from September 24-30. According to the provisional speaker list released by the UN, India’s Prime Minister is scheduled to address the assembly on the afternoon of September 26. This list is subject to updates as the UN finalizes attendance and speaking slots.
Modi, who began his third term as India’s Prime Minister in June, last addressed the UN General Assembly in September 2021. He also led the Yoga Day celebrations at the UN headquarters on June 21 last year before visiting Washington DC for a State Visit with former President Joe Biden.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will present his report before the General Debate begins, followed by an address from the President of the 79th General Assembly session. Guterres is also hosting the Summit of the Future at the UN headquarters, with action days on September 20-21 and the Summit on September 22-23. World leaders will gather to adopt the Pact for the Future, which will include a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations.
“The Summit is a high-level event, bringing world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future,” the UN has stated.
Read also | Five New Murder Cases Lodged Against Ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina
Read also | Ukraine Reports Capture of 100 Settlements in Russian Territory
