'Huge difference between pre-2014 and post-2014 India': PM Modi tells Indian diaspora in Bali

Addressing the Indian diaspora in Indonesia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that “India is a ray of hope for the world in the 21st century”. He asserted that there is a huge difference between pre-2014 and post-2014 India, saying the country is now moving ahead at an "unprecedented speed and scale" as he underlined that it is now the fastest growing large economy and ranked first in several sectors.

Addressing the Indian diaspora in Bali, he said India and Indonesia are connected by shared heritage and culture. “As I speak to you in Bali and we sing songs of Indonesian traditions, Bali Jatra Mahotsav is being celebrated 1500 km away from here — in India’s Cuttack. This mahotsav celebrates thousands of years-old India-Indonesia trade relations,” said PM Modi on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit. 

He said India has stood firmly with Indonesia during its "challenging times", while acknowledging the shared shared heritage and culture between the two countries.

Addressing the Indian diapora on the margins of G-20 summit here, Modi recalled the devastating 2018 earthquake in Indonesia and New Delhi launching the massive operation 'Operation Samudra Maitri' for humanitarian assistance.

Prime Minister Modi said relations between India and Indonesia stood strong during both good and difficult times. "India has stood firmly with Indonesia in challenging times," he said.

In 2018, when Modi visited Jakarta, he said that India and Indonesia may be 90 nautical miles apart, but in reality, "we are not 90 nautical miles apart but 90 nautical miles close."

"At a time when the grand Ram Temple is taking shape in India, we also proudly remember the Ramayana tradition of Indonesia," he said.

Modi added on August 15, India celebrated 75 years of independence, while Indonesia's Independence Day comes two days after India's -- on August 17.

Earlier in the day, he met US President Joe Biden on the margins of G-20 summit in Bali where they reviewed the deepening of India-US partnership including cooperation in several sectors like critical and emerging technologies. 

They also expressed satisfaction about close cooperation between India and US in new groupings such as Quad and I2U2,the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

Addressing the G-20 Summit in Bali Tuesday, PM Modi called for a ceasefire and diplomacy in the Russia-Ukraine war. He also spoke of the challenges presented by climate change, the Covid pandemic, and the importance of India being energy secure. 

“India’s energy security is important for global growth, as it is the world’s fastest-growing economy,” said PM Modi. “We must not promote any restrictions on the supply of energy and stability in the energy market should be ensured.” After the meeting in Indonesia, India will take over the Group of 20 presidency for one year.

India is currently part of the G20 Troika (current, previous, and incoming G20 Presidencies) comprising Indonesia, Italy, and India. The prime minister is attending the summit at the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

Indonesia is the current chair of the G-20. The G20 comprises 19 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the USA and the European Union (EU).