Australia’s Indian community prepares to put on a show for Prime Minister Narendra Modi

It may be a gray July day, but in a community hall in Melbourne’s south-east, it’s an explosion of colors.

Australia’s Indian community is preparing to welcome Narendra Modi to Melbourne this Thursday in a massive event of Bollywood proportions.

The Indian Prime Minister is visiting Australia from July 8-10 as part of the annual Australia-India Leaders Summit.

On Thursday, he and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will appear at the sold-out Melbourne Meets Modi event at Docklands Stadium.

Mr Modi has visited Sydney twice during his tenure as prime minister – in 2014, and for a massive public event in 2023 which attracted thousands of people.

He also visited Melbourne in 2014, but this gathering is a first for the city which is home to Australia’s largest Indian population.

The two-hour Melbourne show, brimming with color, pomp, ceremony and music that rivals any Bollywood production, aims to showcase the full length and breadth of the subcontinent’s culture.

Hindustani classical vocal musician Viraj Salvi is part of an ensemble singing a version of the iconic song Ek Sur, or In Unison, showcasing unity in diversity.

“India is very pluralistic. Each state has a different language, clothing and food,” Mr Salvi said.

“The song highlights this unity in diversity, using different music and instruments, such as violin and percussion.

Mr Salvi said he was very “honored and excited” to perform at the event as he has personally seen India develop at a rapid pace since Mr Modi took office in 2014.

“In my hometown, I saw little girls getting free education with the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan – Clean India Mission – being implemented,” he said.

“I feel very honored to perform in front of Mr. Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.”

Anjali Bhagwat, who is organizing a cultural celebration as part of the event, said she had received more than 200 expressions of interest from people wanting to perform.

“There are 17 teams and 33 performances.”

Bhagwat, who holds a doctorate in clinical heart and diabetes research, said she used her project and data management skills to “channel” the “overwhelming” response.

Pranav Aggarwal, spokesperson for the Australia India Foundation, which is organizing the entire “historic event”, said more than 400 community organizations from across Australia had expressed interest in participating.

“We have had huge interest, but given space constraints we should have between 18,000 and 20,000 people in the stadium to watch the Prime Minister speak live,” he said.

Mr Aggarwal said almost 600 volunteers helped organize the event, totaling more than 30,000 volunteer hours.

A bridge between two nations

Across town, Satnam Singh Dhillon and his family prepare to see and hopefully meet Mr. Modi.

Mr Dhillon, a businessman who has been in Australia for 12 years, lives with his mother, wife and two children in Melbourne’s north.

Like others, Mr. Dhillon is impressed by Mr. Modi’s work to improve India’s rail, road and airport infrastructure.

He hopes the visit will raise the image of the Indian community in a positive way and improve ties between the two countries, especially amid rising racism.

“We came here for a better future, we work hard, pay our taxes,” Mr Dhillon said.

Visit angers Indian opposition

However, for all his love, Mr Modi also has many detractors for what they see as his pro-Hindu policies.

Yesterday, the Australian Federal Police announced that they had officially warned a person who had made death threats against the Indian Prime Minister before his arrival.

Meanwhile, Manoj Sheoran, the national president of the Overseas Indian Congress of Australia, described Mr Modi’s visit as nothing more than “campaigning and political posturing”.

His group represents the Indian National Congress, a party that has ruled India for more than 60 years since the country’s independence in 1947.

Mr. Sheoran said the diaspora was concerned about the Indian economy, the energy crisis affecting the population and the polarization of Indian society.

“The diaspora demands that the government create a mechanism for the non-resident Indian diaspora to vote in Indian elections.”

A chance to showcase Indian culture

For Gerard Lobo’s Goan Overseas Association of Victoria, the event is an opportunity to showcase Goan culture, both to the world and to the Indian Prime Minister.

He said that even if she lived abroad, India would always be part of the diaspora’s heartland.

As a Goan Catholic, he worked with people from all over India.

“And I find that even though we are so different, our ethics and our principles are the same,” he said.