Eminent people from Australia and Indian Diaspora were present on the occasion.

 

First to be organised in Australia, the Vishwa Sadbhavana was the latest in the series of such events organised by the NID foundation and picks up from the legacy of the last event held at the City of Chicago, USA in June this year.

 

Brought out by NID Foundation, the book ‘Heartfelt-The Legacy Of Faith’ documents Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji’s belief in the Sikh Guru’s and their teachings, and his earnest efforts for enabling justice and prosperity and delivering upon the long-overdue mainstays of the Sikh community. 

 

“Every once in a while India needs change and if you analyse history, you will know that someone great comes along and brings the needed change. After Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Maratha Queen Ahilya Bai Holkar, if someone is capable of bringing that massive change, it is our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and he is proving that right,” said Smt Lekhi, who was the chief guest on the occasion.

 

“India has been undergoing an historic change under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has tried to touch the life of common man through various policies and schemes launched during the last 8 years in office,” she said.

 

“A righteous man like the Prime Minister is not afraid of doing the right thing. It was due to this that he was able to bring the change this country required. Unlike previous governments, it didn’t take him 70 years to figure that common citizens of this country required toilets. As many as 20 Crore toilets were constructed in a record time. India has had economists as Prime Ministers, but it was only Narendra Modi who enrolled the poor of this country into the formal economy, opening 38 crore bank accounts within 4 months, as opposed to 12 Crore opened in the last 70 years. This not only ensured the common man’s inclusive participation in nation building but also ensured Direct Bank Transfers, thus eliminating corruption,” she said. 

 

Speaking of PM Modi’s love for the minorities, especially the Sikhs, Smt Lekhi said that the Prime Minister has been very close to Sikhs and Punjab from his early days as a politician, serving as the BJP general secretary for Punjab.

 

In his address, Manpreet Vohra, Indian High Commissioner to Australia said that not only the Indian diaspora in Australia has grown in number, but the peer to peer relationship between the two communities has also grown stronger than ever.

“Indian diaspora here has risen to achieve great success despite coming from humble backgrounds. Their contribution to Australia, socially, economically or even culturally is greatly acknowledged, and has contributed significantly in taking India-Australia relationships to a new level,” he said.

 

“I might be your high commissioner here, but each one of you is an ambassador of India in Australia,” he said and congratulated the attendance ahead of 75th Independence Day of India, which will also mark 75 years of India-Australia diplomatic relationship.

 

Recalling his time spent in Gujarat, Mr Hill said, “India is the world's biggest multi-cultural and multi-faith democracy. This is a great incident that today’s event coincides with the 75th independence day celebration of India. In the 75 years, India has truly shown what they are capable of and the entire world acknowledges that.”

 

“It is impossible to imagine multicultural Australia without the contribution of the Indian community living here. There are almost 700,000 Indians living in Australia, a huge number as per Australian standards. In the last 2 years, Australia saw hard times in the shape of bushfires and covid-19. The way temples and gurudwaras opened up their hearts and doors for those affected in these times, have really got the Indian Diaspora here to gain national acclaim, building India's reputation here in Australia,” he said.

 

“Unlike past, India and Australia today share more than just Commonwealth and Cricket. Our ties fuelled by shared challenges and opportunities have been on rise for a long time now, and the Indian diaspora here is the largest driving force behind this,” he added.

 

It may be mentioned here that the NID Foundation has been working tirelessly for nation building in various capacities. From implementing the new education policy to bringing Indian universities to the top positions at the international level, several decisive steps have been taken by the Foundation ever since its inception.