When PM Modi addressed US Congress for the first time

Mr Speaker the prime minister of the Republic of India thank you thank you thank you [Applause] members of Congress I have the high privilege and the distinct honor in presenting to you his Excellency Narendra Modi prime minister of the Republic of India [Applause] Mr Speaker Mr Vice President distinguished members of the U.S Congress ladies and gentlemen I'm deeply honored by the invitation to address these joint meeting of the U.S Congress thank you Mr Speaker for opening the doors of This Magnificent capital this Temple of democracy has encouraged and empowered other democracies the world over [Applause] it manifests the spirit of this great nation in Abraham Lincoln words what conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal [Applause] in granting me this opportunity you have honored the world's largest democracy and it's 1.25 billion people [Applause] as a representative of world's largest democracy it is indeed a privilege to speak to the leaders of its oldest Mr Speaker two days ago I begin my visit by going to the Arlington National Cemetery the final resting place of many brave Soldiers of this great land [Applause] honored their courage and sacrifice for the ideals of freedom and democracy it was also the 72nd anniversary of the D-Day on that day thousands from this great country fought to protect the torch of Liberty they sacrificed their lives so that the world leaves in Freedom I applaud India Applause the great sacrifices of the man and woman from the land of the pre and the home of the Brave in service of mankind [Applause] India those what this means because our soldiers have fallen in distant battlefields for the same idols that is why the threads of freedom and liberty from a strong bond between our two democracies Mr Speaker our nations may have been shaped by diverse histories cultures and faiths yet our belief in democracy for our Nations and Liberty for our countrymen is common the idea that all citizens are created equal is a central pillar of the American Constitution our founding fathers two shared the same belief and sought individual liberty for every citizen of India there were many who doubted India one of the newly independent nation we Repose our faith in democracy indeed wages were made on our future but the people of India did not waver our Founders created a Modern Nation with freedom democracy and equality at the essence of its soul and in doing so the assured that we continue to celebrate our age old diversity today across its individuals and institutions it's in its villages and cities in its streets and states are anchored in equal respect for all faiths and in The Melody of hundreds of his languages and dialects India lives as one India grows at one India celebrates Edge one Mr Speaker Modern India is in its 70th and year for my government the Constitution is real holy book and in that holy book freedom of faith speech and franchise and equality of all citizens regardless of background our ensigned at fundamental rights [Applause] my countrymen my exercise the freedom of franchise once every five years but all the 1.25 billion of our citizens have freedom from Fear our freedom the exercise every moment of their lives distinguished members engagement between our two democracies has been visible in the manner in which our thinkers impacted one another and saved the course of our societies poros idea of civil disobedience influence our political thoughts and similarly the call by the Great Sage of India Swami Vivekananda to embrace Humanity was most famously delivered in Chicago thank you Gandhi's non-violence inspired the heroism of Martin Luther King today a mere distance of three miles separates the Martin Luther King memorial a Tidal Basin from the statue of Gandhi at Massachusetts Avenue thank you this proximity of their memories in Washington mirrors the closeness of ideals and value they believe in the genius up Dr bhimrao babasaheb ambedkar was nurtured in the Years he spent at the Columbia University a century ago the impact of the U.S Constitution on him was reflected in his drafting of the Indian constitution some three decades later thank you our independence was ignited by the same idealism that fueled your struggle for freedom no wonder then that former prime minister of India called India and the U.S natural allies no wonder that the shared ideals and common philosophy of freedom shaped the Bedrock up our ties no wonder than that President Obama had called our ties the defining Partnership of the 21st Century Mr Speaker more than 15 years ago prime minister stood here and give a call to step out of The Shadow of agitation of the past the pages of our friendship since then Tyler remarkable story today our relationship has overcome the hesitations of History comfort candor and convergence Define our conversations through the cycle of Elections and transitions of administration the intensity of our engagements has only grown and in this exciting Journey the U.S Congress elected as his compass you have help us turn barriers into Bridges of partnership [Applause] fall of 2008 when the Congress passed the India vs civil nuclear cooperation agreement it changed the very colors of leaves of our relationship we thank you for being there when the partnership needed you the most you have also stood by us in times of Sorrow India will never forget the solar solidarity sown by the U.S Congress when terrorists from across our border attack Mumbai in November of 2008. and for this we are grateful Mr Speaker I'm informed that the working of the U.S Congress is harmonious [Applause] I am also told that you are well known for your bipartisanship well You Are Not Alone time and again I have also witnessed a similar spirit in the Indian Parliament especially in Upper House [Applause] so as you can see we have many shared practices [Applause] Mr Speaker at this country knows well every Journey had its pioneers very early on the shaped a development partnership even whenever meeting ground was more limited The Genius of Norman barlock brought the Green Revolution at Food security to my country [Applause] balance of American universities nurtured institutions of technology and management in India and I could go on but fast forward to the present the Embrace of our partnership extends to the totality of human endeavor from the depths of the oceans to the vastness of the space our Science and Technology collaboration continues to help us in cracking the age-old problems in the fields of public health education food and agriculture ties of Commerce and investment are flourishing betrayed more with the U.S than with any other Nation and the flow of good services and capital between us generates jobs in both our societies [Applause] so in defense India exercise with the United States more than we do with any other partner defense purchases have moved from almost zero to 10 billion dollars in less than a decade our cooperation also secures our cities and citizens from terrorists and protects our critical infrastructure from cyber threats civil nuclear cooperation as I told President Obama yesterday is a reality Mr Speaker Our People to People links are strong and there is a approach cultural correct between our societies silly you are familiar with the city Siri tells us that India's ancient Heritage of yoga has over 30 million practitioners in the U.S [Applause] it is estimated that more Americans banned for yoga than to throw a curved wall and no Mr Mr Speaker we have not yet claim intellectual property right on yoga [Applause] connecting our two Nations is also yeah unique and dynamic Bridge of three million Indian Americans today they are among your best CEOs academics astronauts scientists economies doctors even spelling bee champions [Applause] they are your strength they are also the pride of India they symbolize the best of both our societies Mr Speaker my understanding of your gate country begin long before I entered public office long before assuming office I travel Coast to Coast covering more than 25 States of America I realized then that the real strength of the US born in the dreams of its people and the boldness of their ambitions today Mr Speaker are similar spirit animates India over 800 million youth are specially implicit idiots undergoing a profound social and economic change a billion of its citizens are already politically empowered my dream is to economically Empower them through many social and economical transformations and do so by 2022 the 75th anniversary of India's independence my to-do list is long and ambitious but you will understand it includes a vibrant rural economy with a robot's Farm sector a roof over each head and electricity for all households to skill to skill millions of our youth build 100 smart cities have a broad Bend for a billion and connect our villages to the digital world and create a 21st century Rail Road and Port infrastructure these are not just aspirations they are goals to be rich in a finite time frame and to be achieved with a light carbon footprint with greater emphasis on Renewables Mr Speaker in every sector of India's forward March I see the U.S as an indispensable partner many of you also believe that a stronger and prosperous India Asian America's strategic interest let us work together convert shared ideals into practical cooperation there can be no doubt that in advancing this relationship both Nations tend to gain at the U.S businesses search for new areas of economic growth markets for their goods a pool of skilled resources and a global locations to produce and manufacture India could be their ideal partner [Applause] [Music] economy and growth rate of 7.6 percent annum is creating a new opportunity for our mutual prosperity transformative American Technologies in India and growing investment by Indian companies in the United States both have a positive impact on the lives of our citizens today for the global research and development centers India is the destination of choice for the U.S companies looking its word from India across the Pacific The Innovation strength of our two countries comes together in California here the Innovative Genius of America and India's intellectual creativity are working to shape new indices of the future Mr Speaker the 21st century has brought with eight great opportunities but it has also come its own sight of challenges while some parts of the world are islands of growing economic prosperity others mired in conflicts in Asia the absence of an agreed security architecture creates uncertainty threats of Terror are expanding and new challenges are emerging in cyber and outer space and Global institutions conceived in 20th century seem unable to cope with new challenges or take on new responsibilities in this world of multiple transitions and economic opportunities growing uncertainties and political complexities existing threats and new challenges our engagement Can Make a Difference by promoting cooperation not dominance connectivity not isolation inclusive not exclusive mechanisms respect for Global Commons and above all for international rules and norms India is already assuming had responsibilities in securing the Indian Ocean region a strong India U.S partnership can anchor peace prosperity and stability from Asia to Africa and from Indian Ocean to the Pacific thank you it can also help Ensure security of the sea Lanes of Commerce and freedom of navigation on Seas but the effectiveness of our cooperation would increase if International institutions frame with the mindset of the 20th century where the reflect the realistic of today Mr Speaker before arriving in Washington DC I had visited Iraq in Western Afghanistan to inaugurate Afghan India friendship Dam built with Indian assistance thank you I was also there on the Christmas Day last year to dedicate to that proud Nation its Parliament a testimony to our Democratic ties [Applause] naturally recognize that the sacrifices of America have helped create a better life but your contribution in keeping the region safe and secure is deeply appreciated by even Beyond and India too has made an enormous contribution and sacrifices to support our friendship with Afghan people a commitment to rebuild a peaceful and stable and prosperous Afghanistan is our sad objective eighth distinguished members not just in Afghanistan but elsewhere in South Asia and globally terrorism Remains the biggest threat in the territory in the territory stretching from west of India's border of up to Africa it may go by different names from to Taliban to Isis but its philosophy is common of hate murder and violence although it is a shadow is spreading across the world it is incubated in India's neighborhood a comment the members of the U.S Congress for sending a clear message to those who preach and practice terrorism for political gains [Applause] refusing the reward them is the first step that was holding them accountable for their actions the fight against terrorism has to be fought at many levels and the traditional tools of military intelligence or diplomacy alone would not be able to win this fight Mr Speaker we have both lost civilians and soldiers in combating terrorism the need of our is for us to deepen our security cooperation and bases on a policy that isolates those who Harbor support and sponsor terrorists that does not distinguish between Guru and bad terrorists and that dealings religion from terrorism also for us to succeed those who believe in humanity must come together to fight for it as woman and speak against this manners in one voice [Applause] terrorism must be the legitimation Mr Speaker the benefits of our partnership extend not just to the Nations and regions that need it most on our own and by combating our capacities we are also responding to other Global challenges including when disaster strikes and were humanitarian reliefs is needed our soul we have evacuated thousands from Yemen Americans and Indians and others near our home we have the first responders during Nepal's earthquake in the Maldives watercages and most recently during landslide in Sri Lanka we are also one of the largest contributors approves to U.N peacekeeping operations often India and the U.S have combined their strengths in science and technology and Innovation to help fight hunger poverty disease and literacy in different parts of the world the success of our partnership is also opening up new opportunities for learning security and development from Asia to Africa and the protection of environment and caring for the planet is central for our shared vision of a just bird for us in India to live in harmony with Mother Earth is a part of our ancient belief and to take from nature only what is most essential is a part of our Indian culture our partnership therefore aims to balance responsibilities with capabilities and it also focuses on new ways to increase the availability and use of renewable energy a strong U.S support for our initiative to form an international solar Alliance is one such effort we are working together not just for better future for ourselves but for the whole world this has also been the goal of our efforts in G20 East Asia service and climate change summits [Applause] Mr Speaker as we deepen our partnership there will be times when we would have differing perspectives but since our interests and concerns converge the autonomy in decision making and diversity in our perspectives can only Aid values to our partnership [Applause] as we embark on a New Journey and seek new goals let us Focus not just on matters routine but also transformation all ideas which can focus not just on creating wealth but also creating value for our societies not just on immediate gains but also long-term benefits not just on souring best practices but also shaping Partnerships and not just on building a bright future of for our people but in being a breeze to a more united human and prosperous world [Applause] for the success of this journey would be a need to view it with new eyes and new sensitivities when do this we will realize the full promise of this extraordinary relationship Mr Speaker in my final thoughts and words let me emphasize that our relationship is Prime for a momentous future the constraints of the past are behind us and foundations of the future are firmly in place in the lines of Walt Whitman the orchestra have sufficiently tuned their instruments the Baton has given the signal and to that if I might add there is a new symphony in play thank you Mr Speaker and Mr Vice President distinguished members for this honor thank you thank you very much thanks a lot

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Length: 50min 45sec (3045 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 21 2023