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Published 11:08 IST, September 16th 2019

'Howdy, Modi': India's US envoy calls Trump's presence "historic"

Indian ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla called Trump's participation in the "Howdy, Modi!" event historic and unprecedented reflecting a strong bond

Reported by: Pritesh Kamath
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Indian ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla called Trump's impending participation in the massive "Howdy, Modi!" event in Houston on September 22 as "historic" and "unprecedented". "It is reflective of the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation that has developed between India and the US," Shringla told PTI.  

READ | 'Howdy Modi' to feature huge Indian-American cultural spectacle, Woven

Setting a bold precedent

Shringla said it was reflective of the people-to-people contact that provides the organic linkage between the two countries. The ambassador said the two leaders addressing the event sets a bold precedent, which he added was unconventional and unique. "It would be quite a historic meeting with Prime Minister Modi and President Trump jointly addressing over 50,000 Indian-Americans, mainly US citizens," Shringla elaborated. 

"This is unprecedented and historic and is reflective of the close ties of friendship and cooperation between India and the US," the Shringla added, welcoming the White House announcement. 

READ | 'Howdy Modi' Summit: Houston's Texas India Forum prepares to welcome PM Modi during his visit to US in September

Modi-Trump chemistry

PM Modi and Trump's chemistry has been evident in their interactions. The two leaders last met in August on the sidelines of the G-7 summit meeting in France.  Officials of the Trump administration said to PTI, the Indian Prime Minister requested President Trump to attend the event slated in this month to which Trump immediately accepted the invitation and directed his officials and secret service to start preparations. This would be the third meeting between the two leaders this year. While India is not part of the G-7 countries, Modi attended the summit as a special guest on the invitation by French President Emanuel Macron.  

READ | Trump confirms appearance at 'Howdy, Modi!' event in Texas on Sept 22

About "Howdy Modi" event

The 'Howdy Modi' event organized by Texas India Forum, a not-for-profit organization which has confirmed that over 650 community organizations have already signed up to be "welcome partners" for the program. The event will include a cultural program and an address by PM Modi. A 90-minute cultural program titled, “Woven: The Indian-American Story” is going to be performed, celebrating the contributions of Indian-Americans to the cultural, intellectual, and social landscape of the United States. The program will start at 10:00 am before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the stadium.

(with PTI inputs)

09:59 IST, September 16th 2019