At 9/11 memorial, Modi pays homage to victims of terror

Dressed in sober white and grey, Modi placed five rose buds, one of them on slab number N-37, where the names of nine Indian victims are inscribed close together. In all, 40 Indians died at the site on September 11, 2001.

The PM also placed a wreath at another symbolic spot near the memorial — in front of a lush green pear tree called the “survivor”. Following the horrors of the 9/11 attack, the tree was charred and reduced to a stump but once the rubble and debris were removed, a single green leaf was found growing on it. The tree was magically nurtured back to good health and replanted at ground zero as a symbol of human will to survive and revive.

The PM’s visit to the memorial assumes added significance in the context of a push for greater India-US cooperation in the fight against global terrorism. America embassy officials had told The Indian Express on Friday that “terror” was high on the agenda for the summit talks between Modi and President Obama on Monday and Tuesday.

Earlier at the morning’s first official meeting with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, issues related to large cities, especially common threats of terror, policing, public housing and crowd management in the events like “Kumbh Mela” were discussed.

“The PM wanted to understand what are the issues that he (de Blasio) faces, because he is keen on trying to rejuvenate our urban spaces,” External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said. Discussions were focused on matters related to public housing, he said, adding that New York City is planning to build some half a million houses in 10 years.

The PM, he said, was also keen to understand the security steps taken by the city following 9/11. “There was a fairly detailed discussion on this. In this context they also discussed common threats faced by big cities in terms of terror threats,” he said.