Indians have woven magic with the mouse: Modi at Madison Square

New York, Sep 28 :

India was once known as a world of snake charmers, now the magic that its people have woven “with the mouse” in the IT sphere is world-renowned, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi here Sunday.

“I was in Taiwan some years ago, someone wanted to ask a question and was hesitating. He asked if I won’t feel bad, I said go ahead. He said I heard India is a land of black magic and snake charmers. I said no, our forefathers maybe would play with snakes but we play with the (computer) mouse,” he said in his address to a gathering of Indian diaspora at the Madison Square Garden.

Have not taken 15 minute vacation so far

Winning elections is not for sitting on a seat but a responsibility, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday, noting that he has not taken even a 15-minute vacation since taking over the helm of the country.

To loud chants of “Modi, Modi”, the prime minister, in his address to the Indian diaspora at Madison Square Garden here, said the people of India and the diaspora have conveyed the strength of democracy through the April-May elections, which saw the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party sweep to power.

“I will not do anything to make you lower your head. The government you have chosen will not leave anything out,” he said to loud cheers from the huge gathering.

Earlier, Modi was Sunday greeted by 50 US Senators and members of the US Congress at Madison Square Garden as he arrived to address an over 18,000-strong gathering of the Indian diaspora.

Indian singer Kavita Krisnamoorthy rendered the Indian national anthem, which Modi was seen mouthing along.

Chants of “Modi, Modi” rent the air as he began his speech.

Getting rid of maze of laws

Taking a swipe at the Congress-led UPA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the earlier governments would keep harping on the number of laws they had come out with, but he has made it his mission to get rid of the “maze” of “useless” ones.

Addressing a gathering of thousands of the Indian diaspora at Madison Square Garden, Modi said: “Earlier governments would keep harping that we have made this ‘kanoon’ (law) and that ‘kanoon’.. I have started a new one – the old ‘kanoon’, I have thrown away the ‘bekaar’ (useless) ones.”

“It was like a ‘jaal’ (maze) of ‘kanoon’, if one gets in, then they cant get out. I have set up a committee to examine them. If everyday, I can end one law, then it will be an achievement,” he said to loud chants of “Modi, Modi”.

He said good governance should be of easy ways for the people, to fulfil the people’s needs in an easy, lucid way.

 

(IANS)