PM Narendra Modi in Guyana: Indian diaspora chants "Modi-Modi" at welcome ceremony

 Guyana: Indian diaspora holding Indian Flags in their hands extended special welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Georgetown upon his landing on Tuesday evening. The community was seen chanting “Modi” and holding welcome posters for the prime minister who visited the country for historic three-day “India-CARICOM” Summit 2024. 

A special greeting has also been extended by President Dr Irfaan Ali of Guyana to PM Modi at Cheddi Jagan International Airport where they meet, shake hands and hugged each other. With a warm gesture, the girl students and children extended a floral welcome to Prime Minister Modi. 

Over a dozen of cabinet members including President Ali and Prime Minister Mark Anthony Phillips greeted him as he became the first Indian PM for visiting Guyana after 56 years. Indian diaspora also interacted briefly with the prime minister as he happily greeted them by shaking hands and extending gratitude. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to Twitter and extended gratitude to Guyana for warm welcome. He said, "Landed in Guyana a short while ago. Gratitude to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, PM Mark Anthony Phillips, senior ministers and other dignitaries for coming to receive me at the airport. I am confident this visit will deepen the friendship between our nations."

India-CARICOM Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to chair the 2nd edition of the historic summit where he will welcome the collaboration on different areas of development with Caribbean. He is scheduled to meet the leaders of the CARICOM governments and exchange dialogues about deepening ties on concerning matters. 

In addition to that, he will also interact with Indian diaspora and talk about the steps taken by the Indian government for assisting Indian people residing in Guyana. He will extend his support and encourage them to work for the betterment of the two nations. 

Thirdly, the schedule of PM Modi also features his address at a special sitting in the parliament of Guyana where he will shed light on the sharing roots of the two countries that have been progressed over the years. 

Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to extend floral tribute at Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Promenade Garden in Georgetown. The statue was installed in 1969 for the centenary celebrations of Gandhi, who is a father of nation in India. 

For three-day visit, he will also visit the Indian Arrival Monument in the Monument Garden which symbolizes the arrival of the first ship carrying Indian indentured laboureres to Caribbean. According to the reports, the ship had arrived on the shores of then British Guiana in 1838. 

The India-CARICOM summit will serve as the platform to enhance the collaboration between two countries as India share close and deep relations with the wider Caribbean. Every prime minister of the CARICOM government deeply appreciates PM Modi for his leadership at the global landscape as he also extended great and significant support to the region during the tough times of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He will co-chair the summit along with Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell of Grenada who is also the chairman of CARICOM. 

Opportunities for small island nations

The summit is considered significant for the Caribbean as it will serve as the opportunity for the nations to voice for the rights of the small island nations. They will talk about the climate injustice and take the chance to make India collaborate with them on their efforts towards resilience and declining the emission of the carbon footprints. 

For next three days, discussion about the collaboration, development, progress and growth of the small island states will be enhanced at the India-CARICOM summit 2024.