AMSTERDAM: Addressing a vibrant Indian diaspora gathering in the Netherlands on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi combined high diplomacy with political wit. Highlighting the BJP’s recent victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Prime Minister drew massive applause and shared a light-hearted moment with the crowd, jokingly asking, “Kya jhalmuri yahan bhi pahoch gayi?” (Has jhalmuri reached here too?).
The witty remark was a direct callback to his high-profile campaign stop in Jhargram, West Bengal, where a photo of him enjoying the popular street snack from a local vendor had gone viral.
Celebrating India’s Democratic Scale
Beyond the banter, Prime Minister Modi used the platform to showcase the massive scale and health of Indian democracy to the global audience.
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Surging Turnout: He noted that the recent assembly elections in states like West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry saw massive voter turnouts ranging between 80% and 90%, heavily driven by women voters.
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Bigger Than the EU: Reflecting on the democratic setup, he highlighted that the 64 crore citizens who voted in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections exceeded the entire population of the European Union.
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Mother of Democracy: “India values the democratic participation of every citizen,” the PM stated, emphasizing that breaking voting records year after year is a matter of immense pride.
Lauding the Indian Diaspora in Europe
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Prime Minister highly lauded the Indian community in the Netherlands for acting as a “cultural and emotional bridge” between the two nations.
He gave special recognition to the Surinami-Hindustani diaspora for preserving their Indian heritage across generations. Furthermore, he noted the expanding footprint of Indian tech talent and students in Dutch innovation hubs, adding that growing collaborations in sports like cricket and hockey are infusing new energy into bilateral relations.
