In by far the biggest reception for a foreign leader in recent times, a host of Indian-American organisations have drawn up elaborate plans to make Narendra Modi’s first visit to the United States as Prime Minister next month a memorable one.
The “historic” reception on September 28 will be held in New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden. The event will be managed by the Indian-American Community Foundation, a newly-formed umbrella organization with representation from the numerous ‘desi’ bodies dotting the American landscape.
Originally, the community leaders were planning to host the event at a much larger venue, but finally settled for the well-situated Madison Square Garden in midtown New York that can accommodate around 18,000 people.
Given that the Indian-Americans now constitute a three-million strong community, the organisers propose to stream the Modi event live to a host of major American cities, including Washington, Chicago, los Angeles, Houston and Boston. The Indian American Community Foundation, a not-for-profit body formed exclusively to host the Modi reception, says the costs of the event will be met by contributions from the general public.
Any funds collected in excess of the amount required for the event will be donated to charitable causes for India, says the Foundation.
With the plans for the Prime Minister’s address to the US Congress shelved because of an early recess to allow longer campaign time to members for the Congressional elections in early November, a good number of lawmakers are expected to attend the New York event. Although House Speaker John Boehner has already written to Modi proposing that he address the US Congress during a subsequent visit, some leading Congressmen are still trying to get the Speaker to reconsider his decision.