Johannesburg - The South African-Indian community continued to show joy and love at the visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one of the leaders of BRICS.
Scores of community members waited outside the Sandton Sun Hotel and gave him a warm welcome with dhols (a traditional percussion instrument made of wood, brass, leather, cotton, parchment and metal). Flags were waved as a sign of respect for him, while some people touched his hands and others were seen standing in awe to see him.
“It is an honour to be in the presence of Prime Minister Modi, I regard him as my hero,” said Prisha Singh.
Some young people were smiling, while others shed tears of joy.
Arriving in the country this week, as Modi received a rousing welcome as he descended from his aircraft at Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria.
Traditional dancers young and old showed off their skills, and Modi could not contain his joy and appreciation.
Modi is attending the 15th BRICS Summit in Sandton, north of Johannesburg; the event is running until tomorrow.
“I had an excellent meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa,” said Modi. “We discussed a wide range of issues aimed at deepening Indian-South African relations. Trade, defence and investment linkages featured prominently in our discussions. We will keep working together to strengthen the voice of the global south as well.”
He said the BRICS Business Forum gave him an opportunity to highlight India’s growth trajectory and the steps taken to boost ‘ease of doing business’ and public service delivery. He also emphasised India’s strides in digital payments, infrastructure creation and the world of start-ups.
The Star