Largest-ever event for elected foreign leader visiting US
1st time leaders of world's 2 biggest democracies will be appearing together at such an event
The three-hour "Howdy Modi" event here on September 22 will be the largest gathering for an elected foreign leader other than the Pope, the organisers said on Friday and noted that it will be a celebration of the cultures of India and the US. The event on September 22, which will be attended by PM Modi and US President Donald Trump, will see the giant NRG stadium here filled to the capacity, a spokesperson for Texas India Forum (TFI) said. "The audience will be the largest gathering ever for an elected foreign leader visiting the US, other than the Pope. It will be a history-making audience of over 50,000 Indian Americans and we are very proud of the numbers. It is a celebration of the culture of the unity of America and India," the spokesperson said. She said the speeches will be preceded by a 90-minute cultural programme which will be broadcast live in Hindi, English, and Spanish to over two billion people all across the world.
The spokesperson said the audience will hear PM Modi speak about the deepening US-India ties strengthened by the contributions of over three million Indian-Americans in the US.
She said the PM is also expected to lay out the vision for India's growth and development after his second successive win in the Lok Sabha elections. Lauding the US President for deciding to attend the event, the spokesperson said, "This is a special gesture to extend goodwill
and friendship to the people of India as well as the Indian American diaspora."
"A bipartisan group of senior elected officials and leaders from the US government besides senators and governors will also be attending the event. The Texas India Forum would like to extend a very warm welcome to all of them," she said. Indian-Americans in Houston are all set to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the mega "Howdy, Modi" event on Sunday, to be attended by 50,000 audience, the largest gathering ever for an elected foreign leader visiting the US, other than the Pope.
The NRG gates will open at 6 AM to accommodate and seat 50,000 people by 9 AM, after which cultural programme will begin and continue till 10:30 am, and will be broadcast live in Hindi, English and Spanish languages followed by the address of the two leaders. The event will end by 12:30 PM, after which Modi will join a private community reception before heading to New York for the UN General Assembly session and other engagements. The organisers and volunteers sporting 'NAMO AGAIN' shirts, chanted "NaMo Again" and said they are ready to welcome Prime Minister Modi "wholeheartedly". Meanwhile, speculation is high that US could consider reinstating India's designation as a beneficiary developing nation under the key GSP trade programme as part of a potential trade deal between the two countries and both the countries will announce a trade package during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit.