Buddha, ‘karmabhoomi’ & Covid vaccine: Top points PM Modi covered at diaspora address in Japan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed the Indian diaspora in Tokyo amid chants of his name and ‘Jai Shri Ram’. He said Japan has a huge role to play in India’s developmental journey. The Prime Minister’s remarks were made during his two-day visit on the sidelines of the Quad Summit in the island nation.

In his opening speech, the PM said, “Every time I visit Japan, I get immense love and it keeps growing.”

Here are top quotes from his address at the event:

• India and Japan are natural partners… Our relationship with Japan is one of intimacy, spirituality, cooperation, and belonging
• We Indians get attached to our ‘karmbhoomi’ (land of work) with all our hearts but the love for our ‘matribhoomi’ (motherland) never fades away. We cannot stay away from our motherland. This is one of our biggest strengths,’
• India is fortunate enough to have the blessings from Gautam Buddha. Our relationship with Japan is that of Buddha… of knowledge and of meditation.
• Today’s the world needs to follow the path shown by Lord Buddha. It is the only way to save humanity from all the challenges it is facing today, be it violence, anarchy, terrorism, climate change.
• Corona (Coronavirus pandemic) caused the biggest crisis in 100 years in front of the world. When it started, no one knew what would happen next. No one even knew whether its vaccine would come or not. But when the vaccines were developed, India sent both medicines and vaccines to countries in need.
• Today, the world is realising the speed and scale at which India is increasing its infrastructure and capacity building. Japan is an important partner in building this capacity of ours.