Modi in US Congeress: praises Indian Americans

Washington, June 8

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the joint sitting of US Congress on Wednesday, praised the manifold contributions of the Indian-American community to the US.

“Connecting our two nations is also a unique and dynamic bridge of three million Indian Americans,” Modi said.

“They are among your best CEOs, academics, scientists, economics, doctors, even spelling bee champions,” he said eliciting standing applause from the US lawmakers.

He also mentioned the popularity of yoga and said India has not yet claimed intellectual property rights for it.

“SIRI (Siri Peterson Cavanna yoga classes) tells us that India's ancient heritage of yoga has over 30 million practitioners in the US,” the Prime Minister said.

“And, we have not yet claimed intellectual property rights on yoga,” he stated adding a touch of humour. 

Modi  said there were many who doubted when India reposed its faith in democracy.

“There were many who doubted India when, as a newly independent nation, we reposed our faith in democracy.” 

“Our founders created a modern nation with freedom, democracy, and equality as the essence of its soul,” said Modi, the fifth Indian Prime Minister to address a joint sitting of the US Congress.

“Today, India lives as one, India grows as one, India celebrates as one.”

Stating that India applauded the great sacrifices of the men and women from “the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave”, he raised his hands and clapped and the entire house stood up and clapped along with him.

“In granting me this opportunity, you have honoured the world's largest democracy and its 1.25 billion people,” he said.

Modi is the fifth Indian Prime Minister after Rajiv Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao, Atul Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh to address a joint sitting of the US Congress.

Modi is the fifth Indian Prime Minister after Rajiv Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao, Atul Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh to address a joint sitting of the US Congress.