Source: Government of India (4)
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in London on Wednesday, he was greeted by thunderous chants of “Modi Modi”, “Bharat Mata ki Jai”, and “Vande Mataram” from the Indian community — an emphatic reminder of a diplomatic tradition he initiated decades ago, long before rising to India’s highest political office.
This growing emotional and strategic connect with the Indian diaspora has become a cornerstone of India’s foreign policy under PM Modi, especially during his second term.
The foundations of this approach were laid as early as 1993, when Narendra Modi — then BJP’s General Secretary in Gujarat and an emerging national figure — made an impromptu stop in the UK on his return from the United States. Although the visit was unplanned and brief, Modi ensured he connected with the Indian diaspora in the UK. He visited media hubs like Sunrise Radio and the Gujarati newspaper Naya Padkar, interacted with families in Croydon and Hastings, engaged in informal conversations, rode the London Underground, and exchanged ideas with everyday Indians living in Britain.
“The seeds planted then would quietly nourish India’s diaspora diplomacy for decades to come,” the Modi Archive said in a post on X, while sharing a timeline of the Prime Minister’s engagements in the UK.
By 1999, when Modi had become a key national figure and the BJP’s global voice, he returned to the UK for a five-day visit in October, shortly after the BJP’s sweeping national electoral victory. Then serving as BJP’s National General Secretary, Modi had just delivered a stellar performance in Gujarat — winning 20 out of 26 Lok Sabha seats and expanding the party’s grassroots presence from 1,000 to over 16,000 village units between 1985 and 1995. This visit was highlighted by a landmark event at the Swaminarayan School in Neasden, organised by the Overseas Friends of BJP (UK). Despite a cold drizzle, the hall was packed.
Notable attendees included Lord Navnit Dholakia, MP Barry Gardiner (Chairman of Labour Friends of India), and C.B. Patel, editor of Gujarat Samachar.
“BJP stands for nationalism and patriotism,” Narendra Modi was quoted as saying by the Modi Archive.
During this visit, he expanded on India’s democratic traditions, the NDA’s policy vision, and paid homage to Gandhian ideals — illustrating the BJP’s ideological clarity and moral purpose. He framed the BJP not just as a political force, but as a cultural and civilizational movement rooted in tradition, religion, modernity, and democracy. He further asserted that India’s democratic ethos is admired across the world.
In addition, Modi was honoured by the Lohana Mahajan community, where he commended overseas Indians for serving as authentic ambassadors of Indian civilisation. He also paid a visit to 10 Downing Street during the trip.
Modi’s emphasis on global awareness continued during another visit to the UK in 2000. In September that year, he stopped in London en route to the World Hindu Conference in the Caribbean and the UN Peace Summit in the US. At the time, he was about to assume the influential position of BJP General Secretary (Organisation), a role only two others had held since the Jana Sangh era.
During this short visit, Modi met British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and engaged in serious discussions on political stability in Asia, India’s regional situation, and the growing threat of international terrorism. He also met with members of the Overseas Friends of BJP and held teleconferences with C.B. Patel, updating them on the state of affairs in Gujarat and national security efforts in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Terrorism is an evil against humanity — whether in India, the Middle East, or Northern Ireland,” Modi said.
It was a prescient warning that came a full year before the 9/11 attacks, at a time when much of the world had yet to perceive terrorism as a shared global menace.
In August 2003, two years after the devastating Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat, Modi returned to the UK as Chief Minister of Gujarat.
The purpose was to thank members of the Indian diaspora, many of whom had mobilised support, resources, and aid for the affected people.
“You are all the real friends of Gujarat, and I have come to reciprocate the loyalty. We have slept in the street of death and today I have come to repay a debt of friendship to those who helped us in our hour of need,” Modi said, addressing thousands at the packed Wembley Conference Centre.
He praised the diaspora not just for their financial contributions but for their deep emotional ties with India, calling them “the true friends of Gujarat”.
During this visit, he also inaugurated the Shakti Hall at the Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice offices. True to his style, he spoke not just of the past, but also of the future.
In a speech still fondly remembered by the editors of Asian Voice, Modi famously said, “IT is not Information Technology. IT is India Today. BT is not Biotechnology. It is Bharat Today. IT and IT equals IT. That means Information Technology and Indian Talent is India Tomorrow.”
The visit also included a meeting with then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was in London at the time. Modi later met a delegation of political leaders and diaspora members on the South Bank of the River Thames, near Westminster Bridge, opposite the iconic Houses of Parliament.
Even in 2011, when Gujarat marked its golden jubilee, he virtually brought the UK into the celebrations. He addressed a high-profile audience in Mayfair, London, through video conferencing while in Gandhinagar, stating, “The name Gujarat and development are synonymous. Gujarat is creating history.”
The event, hosted by Friends of Gujarat, Gujarat Samachar, and Asian Voice, brought together 90 distinguished guests including British MPs, Lords, and community leaders. Among them was Lord Gulam Noon, who had a direct and lively exchange with Modi.
He used the opportunity to share his vision for the future. He announced the construction of the Mahatma Mandir, a monumental tribute rising from the soil of 18,000 villages — and including ‘mitti’ sent by Gujaratis living abroad.
“In this Golden Jubilee celebration, we have decided to build a Mahatma Mandir. We have collected earth from 18,000 villages in Gujarat to make this monument. We have also collected earth from abroad, especially the UK,” he said.
The message was clear: for Narendra Modi, the diaspora has never been a passive audience.
It has always been, and continues to be, an integral part of India’s journey — a partner in progress and a powerful force in shaping India’s global image.
Now, as Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi continues to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions made by overseas Indians in deepening people-to-people ties and in promoting India’s image and influence across the globe.
IANS