INDIA'S VISION for global governance is guided by the credo “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday, addressing the diaspora at a public event in Sydney where he underlined “mutual trust and respect” as the defining characteristic of India's “deepening” ties with Australia. Apart from thousands of Indians settled in Australia, the event, which was held at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, was attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, several members of his Cabinet and Parliament. In his speech, Albanese called Modi “the Boss”, drawing loud cheers from the audience. The two leaders will hold a bilateral meeting on Wednesday. Modi, who reached Sydney on Monday, is on a three-day visit to Australia. “There was a time when India-Australia ties were defined by three Cs - Commonwealth, Cricket and Curry. It was also said to be based on three Ds - Democracy, Diaspora and Dosti. Some people also said it is based on three Es - Energy, Economy and Education. But the breadth of India-Australia historic ties are much bigger than this. The biggest foundation of those ties is mutual trust and mutual respect. And that mutual trust and mutual respect is not an outcome of diplomatic ties, but its biggest reason and strength is you, every single Indian living in Australia and over 2.5 crore Australian citizens,” Modi said. While he steered clear of references to domestic politics, focussing on India's achievements in various fields from financial technology to agriculture instead, Modi did point out how his 2014 visit to Australia was the first by an Indian PM in 28 years. “I had promised that you won't have to wait that long for another Indian PM to come here,” he said. From cricketing ties between the two nations, to references to the popular culinary show MasterChef, Modi underlined that despite the geographical distance between India and Australia, there is no dearth of platforms that connect them. The death of Australian cricket great Shane Warne plunged not just Australians, but crores of Indians into mourning as well, he said. Stating that India has stamped its status as a “force of global good”, Modi said it is but natural that the world is increasingly curious about the country's steps and achievements. India, he said, is a “living civilisation” dating back thousands of years and the “mother of democracy”, which has not wavered from its fundamentals despite being in step with the times. India's decision to theme its G20 presidency along the lines of “One Earth, One Family, One Future” shows that it considers the world as a family, he said, listing the country's Covid vaccine outreach programme which touched “over 100 nations”, its efforts to encourage the use of solar energy for environment conservation, and the creation of disaster resilient infrastructure as some examples of that principle. “India has always worked as a binding force by bringing different nations together. Recently, when an earthquake rocked Turkey, India extended its help through 'Operation Dost'. While considering its own interests, India factors in the interests of others. Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas is the foundation of our domestic governance. This is also our vision for global governance,” said Modi. Modi is in Australia on the last leg of his three-nation tour during which he attended the G7 summit in Hiroshima where India was a guest country, and visited Papua New Guinea where the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation summit was held. In his address on Tuesday, Modi said the strategic partnership between India and Australia is “constantly deepening”, adding that the two countries are working on a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement and building resilient and reliable supply chains. Bilateral trade is estimated to double in the next five years, he said, adding that air connectivity will also be strengthened with the addition of more flights. He announced that India will soon open a consulate in Brisbane to fulfill a long-pending demand of the diaspora. The dream harboured by every Indian, including the diaspora, to see India as a developed country is “also my dream”, Modi said, emphasising that the country does not lack the capability or resources to achieve that. “India has the world's largest talent factory and youth power. India ran the world's quickest Covid vaccination programme. India is the world's fastest growing large economy. India is the world's number one smartphone data consumer. India is the world's largest in milk production. India is the second largest mobile manufacturer. The IMF recognises India as the bright spot of the global economy. The World Bank says if there is any country that is challenging global headwinds, that is India,” Modi said. Speaking before Modi, Albanese, who completed one year as PM on Tuesday, said he has met Modi six times during this period. The two leaders also unveiled a plaque for the foundation stone of a 'Little India' gateway in Harris Park, in western Sydney. “The people here tonight - your families, your communities - will always be the lifeblood of the relationship that India and Australia share. I said to my friend, the Prime Minister, the last time I saw someone on the stage here was Bruce Springsteen, and he didn't get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got. Prime Minister Modi is the Boss. You have brought the spirit of the world's biggest democracy to Australia. And you have helped make our democracy stronger and more inclusive,” Albanese said. Springsteen is known to his fans as 'the Boss'.
