March 07, 2026 11:58 pm (IST)
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Live for India, says Narendra Modi at Sydney address
Sydney, Nov 17 (IBNS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sydney to a big welcome and in an encore of his US Madison Square speech addressed at the Allphones Arena in Sydney's Olympic Park urging all Indians across the world to live for the country as frenzied crowd gathered at the venue cheered lustily.
"The 1.25 billion Indians are rightful owner of this cheer. I am not. I dedicate this to Mother India," he said.
He said Swami Vivekananda himself had said 50 years before independence that Indians should forget for 50 years all gods and goddesses and worship only Mother India. And see how correct he was. India got freedom 50 years later," said Modi.
He said he is lucky to be born in free India and never got a chance to fight for freedom.
"There should be a pain in us that we were not there during freedom struggle. We could not die for freedom but we can at least live for the country. So we should pledge that if we live, it will be for the nation. If we fight it will be for the nation. And this is what the people of India feel now," he said.
He said if you take a flight during night you reach Australia in morning, but for an Indian PM it took 28 years to come to Australia.
"I have come to assure you that you will not have to wait for 28 years," he said.
The event organised by the Australian-Indian community, the venue, witnessed a riot of colours and cultural performances ahead of Modi's speech.
New South Wales Premier Mike Baird also met Modi, a Twitter image of PMO showed. "What I sense is that you bring great hope; the relationship is on the cusp of something big" said Premier Baird of NSW.
Modi earlier tweeted: "Amazing welcome in Sydney. Glad to be here."
He was accorded a traditional welcome in Sydney and got a boomerang as a gift upon arrival.
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