By Juhi Varma
Houston’s Indo-American community gathered Sunday, October 25, at India House to celebrate 25 years of public service by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The program featured a tree-planting ceremony along with remarks from community leaders and special guests from India, Sri Muralidharan Krishnamurti and Shri Nainar Nagendran. Sunaina Panchal served as emcee. Children from Swarsangam School of Music, lead by Smriti Shrivastav, performed tradition songs including “Vande Mataram.”
The event was organized by the Overseas Friends of BJP and India Culture Center (ICC), in association with groups including the Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora, Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, the American Telugu Association, and Ekal Vidyalaya. The goal was to celebrate and recognize Modi’s leadership in infrastructure, digital public systems, financial inclusion, manufacturing, and India’s rising global profile, while strengthening cultural ties within Houston’s Indian community.
After asking the audience whether he should speak in Tamil or Hindi, Krishnamurti Ji graciously chose Hindi at their request. He shared warm anecdotes about Modi ji, highlighting the PM’s decision to provide free COVID-19 vaccines not only throughout India but also to neighboring countries, accompanied by the message “may all be free from illness.”
Other speakers offered personal and community perspectives.
Consul General DC Manjunath hghlighted India’s economic and global progress under Prime Minister Modi. He noted that reforms in infrastructure, financial inclusion, digital public systems, manufacturing, and the investment climate have helped unlock economic potential and expand opportunities. With a GDP of more than $4 trillion, India is now the world’s fourth-largest economy and moving toward third place, supported by sustained reforms, rising investment, and expanding trade, he said
“The India Culture Center is proud to part of the community that continue to celebrate our heritage, strengthening, and cultural ties and bring the people together,” said Hasu Patel, Chief Trustee of ICC. “I have had the distinct privilege of meeting Prime Minister Modi ji on several occasions, including in 2004 in Ahmedabad… we extend our heartfelt congratulation and best wishes to our Prime Minister Modi ji for 25 years’ service, and we wish him continuous success.”
Ramesh Bhutada noted that Modi’s public service spans more than 25 years, tracing it to his earlier work before even he became chief minister of Gujarat, and credited his intent and long-term vision, especially for Viksit Bharat.
“Modi ji delivered results when earlier slogans had not,” Bhutada ji said. “That is the biggest thing he did through the digital payment transfer, and he works with a very long-term vision.”
Modi’s government had demonstrated how welfare programs could directly benefit the common man through direct benefit transfers, which allow government subsidies and financial assistance to be deposited into beneficiaries’ bank accounts. He credited this system with reducing dependence on intermediaries, limiting opportunities for corruption and ensuring that more of the intended assistance reached those who needed it.
Ramesh Shah, a founding member of the Ekal Vidyalaya chain, highlighted visible changes in villages, roads, toilets, and women’s self-help groups, as well as Modi’s management of the Gujarat earthquake and subsequent challenges.
Dr. Surinder Kaul of the Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora described Modi as a once-in-a-generation leader and praised the abrogation of Article 370 which affirmed Kashmir’s place in India.
“Had the (previous administration’s) defense been strong, we would not have become victims of genocide and ethnic cleansing in our own country,” said Dr. Kaul, who lived through the horrific events of the 1990 Kashmir Insurgency.
He praised the schemes that benefited farmers and rural women but said he was especially proud of India’s unyielding defense posture, including surgical strikes and the sharp rise in indigenous defense production and exports.
Dr. Kaul stressed the importance of a new doctrine under which any act of terrorism by another country would be treated as an act of war and not met with silence. He said that for decades India had faced terrorism without a sufficiently strong response.
Vijay Pallod recalled early diaspora support for Modi’s 2014 campaign, when 1,000 NRIs from America went to campaign for him.
Representatives of the Indian Muslim Association of Greater Houston, including Yasmin Udawala and Rahat Sultana, spoke of pride in an inclusive India and improvements in civic infrastructure and cleanliness that began in Gujarat and expanded nationally.
Chief guest Mr. Nainar Nagendran, former Tamil Nadu cabinet minister and BJP Tamil Nadu President, addressed the audience through a translator.
There have been attempts by external forces to disturb peace inside India, he said. One example cited was the Citizenship Amendment Act-related protests (referred to as CJP). At Jantar Mantar, authorities found that about 3,000 people among those detained had prior criminal convictions, suggesting the core agenda was not genuine protest. Despite such efforts, Modi has remained focused on serving the nation.
Mr. Nagendran shared a recent personal anecdote from the October 11 Chennai Metro Rail inauguration: four leaders were present, including Nagendran and Modi himself. While the others walked toward the train, Modi went to the ticket counter, opened the app on his phone, and bought four tickets. The point was to illustrate the Digital India vision in action—ordinary digital payments working smoothly, contrary to earlier doubts (including those once raised in Parliament about whether street vendors could use mobile phones and cards).
“One of the most fundamental changes I have seen in India is the huge improvement in infrastructure: the roads, railway stations, metros and airports,” said Bharat Patel, ICC Treasurer. “PM Modi is the most popular Prime Minister in the world at present. Every world leader is looking up to his wisdom and leadership. PM Modi has also lifted India’s economy from 11th place in the world to 4th, and I hope he will take it to 3rd. We were proud to have participated in the Howdy Modi event in 2019 also”.
Throughout the program, speakers returned to themes of grassroots service, digital transformation, ease of doing business gains, International Yoga Day, vaccine diplomacy, and India’s growing international stature. The tree-planting ceremony formed part of the official program, underscoring an environmental note alongside the political and cultural tributes.
“ In just over a decade, PM Modi has opened bank accounts for more than 59 crore Indians, which is more than the combined population of the United States, Canada, Mexico and Guatemala,” said Digamber Eslampure community organizer and lead organizer of the event. “Around 25 crore Indians have been lifted out of multidimensional poverty, which is more than the combined population of Germany, France and the United Kingdom. More than 12 crore toilets have been built, changing the lives of around 50 crore people, which is more than the entire population of South America. And where Left-wing extremism once affected over a hundred districts, the government has now declared India Naxal-free. We were proud to be part of Howdy Modi event in 2019″
The gathering reflected the breadth of Houston’s Indian diaspora—Gujarati, Kashmiri Pandit, Tamil, Muslim, and other communities—coming together to mark a quarter-century of Modi’s public career. Organizers closed by extending best wishes for continued success and inviting ongoing partnership between the diaspora and India.
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