{"id":43299,"date":"2026-07-03T02:03:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T02:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/43299\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T02:03:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T02:03:19","slug":"melbourne-modi-visit-community-hopes-and-anticiaption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/43299\/","title":{"rendered":"Melbourne Modi visit: Community hopes and anticiaption"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: 7 minutes<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Melbourne\u2019s Indian community are in the grips of Modi mania as they count down the days to the Indian Prime Minister\u2019s reception on the evening of July 9th at Marvel Stadium. Melbourne Modi visit<\/p>\n

Organised by the Australia India Foundation, almost 26,000 people from across the country have registered to attend, already surpassing attendee numbers of the Sydney reception three years ago.<\/p>\n

\"PM<\/p>\n

PM Modi last visited Sydney in 2023. (Source: Twitter)
\nA rapturous welcome<\/p>\n

The AIF are strictly regulating attendance, making tickets feel just as sought after as passes to the FIFA World Cup! The registration system limits five people to an application, with approval required from a selected Welcome Partner organisation.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven my wife couldn\u2019t get the chance,\u201d laughs 79yo Yashpal Vasudeva from Doncaster East, who was lucky enough to secure a spot for himself.<\/p>\n

\"ModiYashpal Vasudeva. (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was upset like anything, saying \u2018what a mistake you\u2019ve done, how could you miss me!\u2019; I couldn\u2019t sleep that whole night!\u201d<\/p>\n

Attendees cite many reasons for registering, chief among them to be in the same room as a man they have only ever seen from afar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love his speeches, I watch them [online] all the time when he makes them internationally\u2026seeing him speak in person at a major event would be phenomenal,\u201d says 25yo Fraser Rise resident Hiren Chauhan.<\/p>\n

Having received a rockstar welcome on his last trip down under, many are curious to know more about \u2018The Boss\u2019\u2019 allure and soak up the electric stadium atmosphere.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarvel Stadium is known for big concerts, and I don\u2019t think this would be any different \u2013 we have such a big diaspora who want to see him,\u201d says 26yo Sammy Choudhery, who lives a stone\u2019s throw from the venue.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s probably more famous than Karan Aujla who\u2019s coming later this year!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Sammy Choudhery (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n

Melbourne Modi visit<\/p>\n

For some, being in close quarters with PM Modi has been a longtime goal; 74yo Ashok Kumar Chopra of Epping has been dreaming of him since a chance encounter on a Meerut highway four years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were lucky, no crowd was there. We waved goodbye to Modiji when he was passing, and he responded!\u201d he recounts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so zealous and enthusiastic to meet him\u2026I will try to shake hands with him and appreciate him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, those who grew up away from the homeland see Modi\u2019s visit as a chance to reconnect with India and contribute to political conversations.<\/p>\n

\"modiAshok Kumar Chopra (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe discuss a lot of Indian politics [at home], and what that means for us in Australia,\u201d says 32yo Shreya Bose from Clyde*.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe live so far away and sometimes it\u2019s hard to keep track\u2026I\u2019ve heard a lot about the things [PM Modi]\u2019s done, so I think it\u2019d be good to see him in person.\u201d<\/p>\n

The reception is also a great chance for diverse Indian associations, usually separated by geography, to finally connect.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope this inspires the organisations invited to work together, regardless of differences; coming together would help us create bigger and better events,\u201d says 23yo Vedant Mantri from Glen Waverley.<\/p>\n

For every reason someone has for attending, there are just as many choosing to stay away \u2013 like 51yo Raman Ahuja from Prahran*, who is not enthused about the visit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was excited when he became PM in 2014 but over the years, I have seen how his government has controlled media and awarded contracts to their friends,\u201d Ahuja notes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere have been too many incidents of the whittling away of secularism in India, so I am disappointed in the way the last 12 years have gone. My Thursday evening of the Modi Meets Melbourne will be at home with my family rather than to hear tall tales be told.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gauri Menon, 36yo from Footscray*, also has mixed feelings about PM Modi.<\/p>\n

\"\"Vedant Mantri (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n

\u201cI always thought that he was very divisive, being so pro Hindu, but India has really grown to be a force to be reckoned with under his leadership. Whether that\u2019s due to his leadership, or whether it would have happened organically, I can\u2019t exactly pinpoint,\u201d she told Indian Link.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe acts decisively in a time of crisis, but as to whether he\u2019s good or bad on the whole, I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are also those who don\u2019t feel the pull of the pageantry. Melbourne Modi visit<\/p>\n

\u201cMy husband and I got an invitation, but we thought what\u2019s the point? We will just be one in a crowd and won\u2019t even meet him,\u201d says 58yo Gayathri Kandasamy of Point Cook*.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been away from India for so long, we don\u2019t feel the connection; we\u2019re not very interested in what\u2019s going on there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, with PM Modi having spurned the garden state on his last visit in 2023, the appetite amongst much of the Victorian diaspora to host an official visit has become ravenous.<\/p>\n

\"\"Ranganathan Padmanabhan (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were disappointed when he went to Sydney; many people travelled from Melbourne, but I was not fortunate enough to. We are so fortunate to have him in Melbourne now, and I\u2019m not going to miss the opportunity!\u201d says 70-year-old Ranganathan Padmanabhan of Oakleigh.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think people will go ballistic once they see him here\u2026I\u2019m going to fall off my feet!\u201d<\/p>\n

Many are travelling hundreds of miles just to be a part of this historic moment, with a charter flight from Sydney to Melbourne already taking expressions of interest<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"Anup Deshmukh (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n

Forty-two-year-old Anup Deshmukh will journey from Adelaide with around 30 other performers from his Dhol Tasha group: \u201cWe\u2019re going to hire a truck for the instruments, and we\u2019re all going to drive.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s been juggling accommodation and food arrangements alongside their rehearsals, but the excitement more than makes up for the admin.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompared to Sydney, Melbourne is closer, so we\u2019re planning to go with full enthusiasm and lots of the team members to welcome Modiji as per the Maharashtrian tradition!\u201d Deshmukh smiles.<\/p>\n

While the organisers work on processing registrations, preparations are already underway, with everything from banners to outfits being planned meticulously for the big day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was thinking of wearing my India [cricket] jersey,\u201d says Sammy Choudhary. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be surprised if everyone comes in Indian tricolours like the sporting events \u2013 I might do this myself!\u201d<\/p>\n

*details have been anonymised to protect interviewee privacy.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Albanese engage in friendly banter on the 2023 visit. (Source: Twitter)
\nCommunity wishlist<\/p>\n

While still yet to confirm a detailed agenda for the visit, PM Modi\u2019s trip will also include time in Indonesia and New Zealand.<\/p>\n

Clues about what could be discussed emerged in Prime Minister Albanese\u2019s recent speech to Parliament, where he praised the ECTA Agreement and cited the potential within India as the third largest economy \u2013 to that extent, Australia seem keen to advance the Australia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).<\/p>\n

At the 17th Framework Dialogue held in May<\/a>, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and India\u2019s Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar hinted at energy trade discussions, with India eager to leverage Australia\u2019s uranium supplies.<\/p>\n

But what do the diaspora want to see discussed behind closed doors on this visit? Melbourne Modi visit<\/p>\n

\"modiNirali Dhruv (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n

With Victoria being a key destination for international students and skilled workers, education and visa requirements will probably be on the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of good skilled professionals here, so I hope the agenda is about the productivity and contribution we are making to each other,\u201d says 43yo Nirali Dhruv of Viewbank.<\/p>\n

With numerous conflicts raging overseas, there\u2019s hopes regional peace will be prioritised in the two countries\u2019 discussions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of conflicts, like fuel prices, trade agreements, where everyone stands on AI. Hopefully there\u2019s talks about reducing the tensions \u2013 not just within the Indo-Pacific, but how India and Australia can help other countries get peace,\u201d says Vedant Mantri.<\/p>\n

Though bilateral relations prosper, the climate towards the diaspora has shifted with the advent of March for Australia, so it remains to be seen if PM Modi will acknowledge this during his visit.<\/p>\n

\"\"Shivani Verma (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough it doesn\u2019t seem big, I think racism\u2019s something that\u2019s creeping up exponentially\u2026we\u2019re facing lots of unwarranted racism right now and I really hope Modiji\u2019s visit navigates and addresses that,\u201d says Shreya Bose.<\/p>\n

To this extent, PM Modi\u2019s visit offers the diaspora a chance to show a united face in turbulent times. Melbourne Modi visit<\/p>\n

\u201cHis visit will definitely help us establish an identity \u2013 having his support, hearing him talk about how we\u2019re doing, it\u2019ll invoke a greater sense of community between Indian Australians here,\u201d says 26yo Shivani Verma from Taylors Hill.<\/p>\n

Regardless of what\u2019s discussed, the consensus is that India\u2019s global reputation has shifted since Modi took the reins, so if anything, the reception offers diaspora a rare chance to recognise PM Modi\u2019s transformative leadership.<\/p>\n

\"\"Hiren Chauhan (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve really noticed the change in the recognition we get in Australia and internationally; their vision of India has changed a lot,\u201d says Hiren Chauhan.<\/p>\n

As excitement continues to mount, the community are glad to see PM Modi turn his attention towards the Australian diaspora amidst broader geopolitical tensions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a very good time that PM Modi has decided to come at \u2013 it\u2019s a very nice gesture that will be welcomed by both the communities and shows we are strong and happy to support each other,\u201d says Nirali Dhruv.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot going on in international politics, so such support is a good assurance to the Indian community they\u2019re being represented and heard.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Reading Time: 7 minutes \u00a0 Melbourne\u2019s Indian community are in the grips of Modi mania as they count…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":43300,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[33612,483,33613,33614,4920,33615,33616,33617,33618,31581,33619,33620,9255,260,33621,33622,31584,33623,33624,13308,6975,28809,33625,33626],"class_list":["post-43299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-melbourne","tag-aif","tag-anthony-albanese","tag-australia-india-foundation","tag-australia-modi-visit","tag-australian-politics","tag-australian-indians","tag-bilateral-relations","tag-ceca-agreement","tag-ecta-agreement","tag-indian-community","tag-indian-diaspora","tag-indian-politics","tag-marvel-stadium","tag-melbourne","tag-modiji","tag-namo","tag-narendra-modi","tag-pm-albo","tag-pm-modi","tag-racism","tag-trade","tag-uranium","tag-welcome","tag-welcome-partner"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43299\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}