Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Indian community during a community event held in Auckland on the last leg of his six-day visit. During this, PM Modi said that even though your body is in New Zealand, your soul is in India. As soon as PM Modi reached the stage to address the Indian community, the entire hall echoed with slogans of Modi-Modi and thunderous applause.
Regarding the civilization and heritage of India and New Zealand, PM Modi said, “India is a thousands-year-old civilization, which today is accepting modernity while preserving its antiquity. India has changed itself in every era. The reason for this is our eagerness to learn. India learns from everyone.”
For us, it is not the population of the opposite country but the feeling of public welfare that matters. That’s why we have learned a lot from New Zealand and are still learning.” He said that New Zealand is the country in the world which first gave voting rights to women. Today we see that women are contributing to the society of New Zealand on a large scale.
India also leads the way in women’s development, opening new doors of possibilities for women. New Zealand has shown how rural economy can change the destiny of a country. Its strength is the ecosystem built around agriculture. This is a great inspiration. This is a big lesson for a big agricultural country like India with small farmers.
Referring to New Zealand’s Manuka honey, the Prime Minister said that New Zealand has shown that small farmers can also become big brands in the market. New Zealand’s climate smart precision farming technology also has a lot for us to learn.
New Zealand’s ‘Manuka Honey’ is called liquid gold. Just as here honey is associated with health apart from tradition and taste, similarly honey has great importance in Ayurveda of India too. In India also we are running a mission on ‘Bee Keeping’. Due to this, the production of honey in India has increased significantly. Nowadays, the honey that comes from the heights of the Himalayas is turning into gold and diamonds. There is a lot that can be learned from New Zealand about increasing honey production.
Regarding cooperation in the field of sports between the two countries, he said that this year India-New Zealand sporting relations is completing one year. Hundred years ago, our hockey team had come to play in New Zealand and Major Dhyan Chand’s performance in that tour was being discussed everywhere. His hockey won the hearts of the people of New Zealand. In the language of content creators, this is the era of collab.
Regarding cooperation in rugby, the Prime Minister said, “Both countries can also have excellent cooperation in sports; an example is rugby. Some time ago it came to light that the All Blacks have registered a spectacular victory in a rugby match. India wants to learn from New Zealand in rugby.
For India to come forward in rugby, we need coaches and experts. New Zealand can help us a lot for this. “I consider the recent coaching program by New Zealand Rugby and Rugby India in Bhubaneswar as a good start.” Regarding sports tech, the Prime Minister of India said that before coming here today, he had gone to a sports startup event in New Zealand. The new ideas of innovation happening in sports tech impressed me. I believe that together we can do a lot in this also.
The future of India and New Zealand is interconnected. An example of this is also in the field of space. When India’s Chandrayaan landed on the South Pole of the Moon, the whole of New Zealand was dancing. We all felt proud that day.
Prime Minister Modi said, “Let me tell you one more thing of pride. New Zealand’s technology has also played a big role in this success and in making you proud. The space company has worked with us on many occasions.
We are working to take this cooperation further. The space sector is enough to show how much the economies of India and New Zealand can offer each other, this is the spirit of our trade agreement. This trade agreement will accelerate our journey towards a developed India.”
Referring to the Maori community of New Zealand, he further said that it will provide opportunities to the business of both India and New Zealand. There is another big similarity between the two countries. This similarity is of our Indian culture and its preservation.
Today I want to especially remember the ‘Maori community’. I didn’t just see Hakka as a performance, I saw the soul of a society in it. There is courage, self-respect, reverence for one’s ancestors and a sense of the collective power of the entire community. There is a very beautiful word in Maori culture, ‘manakitanga,’ it means to respect, to belong, to care for with all one’s heart.
Even in India we say, ‘Atithi Devo Bhava.’ The words, surroundings, costumes, and languages are different, but the feeling is exactly the same. Similarly, in Maori culture there is a beautiful word for family, ‘Fano’, that is, family.
He further said that it involves multiple generations, relationships and entire communities. India also does not consider family as just a social system. For us family is an institution.
Another beautiful idea from the Maodi tradition is Kaitaya Kitanga. It teaches us that we are not the owners of nature, but its protectors. It is also said in India that Mata Bhoomi: Putroham Prithivyah. Earth is our mother, based on this thinking, we are running many campaigns in India for the protection of Mother Earth like Ek Pedre Maa Ke Naam, Natural Farming Mission etc.
I know that despite living thousands of kilometers away, India is still visible in some corner of the world in the course of the day. The body will be here, the mind will be there. That’s why you also keep an eye on every achievement of India.
The Prime Minister said, “When you watch cricket sitting in the stadium, many things are missed, but when you watch it on TV at home, you get to know every detail. Similarly, you also get to know every detail of India. This is what makes us the most special.”
Wherever Indians live, they completely help in the progress of that country. They also keep information about the development of their country. As much as we love our birthplace, we also dedicate the same amount of dedication to our work land.”
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