HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): A nascent organization that came in to being a few months before the elections, has been able to propel itself into limelight, much to the chagrin of the traditional BJP organizations which include factions of Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP). The organization, a political action committee, to begin with, chose a more appropriate name, to be in sync with the brewing political climate – Overseas Friends of Narendra Modi.

The organization organized a Modi-BJP victory celebration on June 18 in Hicksville which was attended by a diverse section of the Indian American community. , Jagdish Sewhaney, the man behind the organization, recalled his long association with Narendra Modi and described him as a man with strong convictions and a great will power. BJP National Secretary Rameshwar Prasad Chaurasia was the guest speaker.

BJP National Secretary Rameshwar Prasad Chaurasia who was the guest speaker, claimed that Modi would bring about development and India would soon be a leading nation in the world.

When asked how NRIs can be of help in nation building in India, Chaurasia first of all thanked overseas Indians whose voice – over Twitter and other social media even from afar– and support for BJP and Modi in the run up to the general election mattered a lot. “Now, your support is still needed because people’s expectations from Modi government are enormous,” said Chaurasia. He gave the example of poor peasants in Bihar who wanted to make Modi PM hoping that Modi will develop Bihar too like Gujarat so that their sons don’t have to go to Gujarat to find work.” Similarly, he said, India should be so developed that instead of Indians going abroad, NRIs would want to return to their home land.

Darshan Singh Bagga whose organization GOPIO was one of the sponsors hoped India will do well under Modi

Chaurasia said Modi showed how a strong leader projects strength of a nation when he invited all SAARC heads to his swearing in and they fell over each other to attend. Modi’s slogans have been: ‘Sabaka saath, sabka vikas’, and ‘Ek Bharat, shreshtha Bharat.’ So he is going to see to it that northeast too develops, Bihar and UP too are not lagging behind Gujarat. Chaurasia complimented Modi for breaking the walls of caste and creed, and cited that over 20% Muslims voted for Modi in Varanasi.

He praised Modi’s step to allow 100% FDI in defense production, which will bring in capital and knowhow direly needed in a country “whose ordnance factories cannot even manufacture AK-47s, which even a village in Munghyr has bootlegged.” Chaurasia ascribed falling of rupee value to black money from India hoarded in foreign banks in dollars. And for corruption he blamed bureaucrats more than politicians. Weak ministers depend on bureaucrats who don’t fear losing their jobs and get into shady deals.

View of the gathering

Modi’s incorruptibility is well-known despite ruling Gujarat for 15 years – note that his real brother still runs a ration shop. Chaurasia said that Modi wants to make a beginning by first cleaning up Parliament. “He has asked Supreme Court to decide the pending cases against MPs within one year, so we can be rid of the bad eggs.” Others who spoke welcoming the speaker and eulogizing Modi included Dr Shashi Shah, Sunil Modi, Darshan Singh Bagga, Dr Yash Pal Arya, Mohinder Verma, Dr Narinder Kukar and Dr Azad Anand.