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Manmohan hails Indians in America

New York: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has thanked the Indian community for its “very supportive role” in bringing about the “historic agreement” on civil nuclear energy agreement with the United States, which is “nearing fruition.”

Dr. Singh was addressing the Indian community at a reception hosted on Saturday by the Indian Ambassador to the United States, Ronen Sen, at Waldorf Astoria.

Describing the Indo-U.S. relationship as being “between friends, between equals and not adversaries,” the Prime Minister asserted that the “support for a strong India-U.S. relationship cuts across party lines in both India and the U.S.”

Indirectly referring to the political controversies back home and in America over the nuclear agreement, the Prime Minister argued that “the overall sentiment that emerges from our respective domestic debates is a strong positive endorsement of our strategic partnership.”

The gala evening was a proud showcasing of the Indian community’s new assertiveness and achievements in the American society. Dr. Singh chose to mention inspiring role models such as Sunita Williams, Kalpana Chawla, Indira Nooyi, Vikram Pandit, Jumpa Lahiri, Mira Nair, Srinivasa Varadhan and Sabeer Bhatia.

Complimenting the Indian community for its role as a “brain bank” of the United States, he hoped that these successful men and women would become “brain bridge” between the two countries in the areas of technology, trade and investment.

The Prime Minister talked of “the rise of India” as a force of peace, development and stability, and hailed “India’s emergence as a major democratic power and an open economy.” He invited each and every member of the Indian community to become “an active partner in this saga of adventure and enterprise, build an India free from the fear of want and exploitation.”

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