Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (local time) met with the heads of prominent community organisations in Johannesburg.
Jaydev Shukla, priest of the Lakshminarayan Temple in Lenasia, expressed his happiness following the interaction, highlighting that the Prime Minister addressed several key issues, including the promotion of Indian languages and encouraging the diaspora to visit India annually.
"It felt really good to meet the Prime Minister. He emphasised on 2-3 things, including language, and promoting the Indian diaspora to visit India every year. He also mentioned the Indian government's will to organise a sports tournament for the Indian diaspora living here for 7-8 generations," Shukla told ANI.
Swami Vivekananda Saraswati, Head of the Sanyasi Spiritual Council of South Africa, said that meeting PM Modi was an electrifying moment for him and asserted that the Indian community share a close relation with the country.
"It was indeed an electrifying moment to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has inspired us to continue taking the power of Bharat the world over. We share a close relation with our motherland, and through the inspiring leadership of PM Narendra Modi, our leadership has gained depth, spiritually and through old ties, diplomatically as well. We are thrilled that the Prime Minister has increased the OCI requirements from five generations to seven generations. This allows our children to share and experience what our Bharat has to offer, to connect them back to their motherland," he said.
Upon his arrival in Johannesburg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed by the Indian diaspora with folk dances from 11 different states.
The cultural programme was aptly titled 'Rhythms of a United India', where the Prime Minister termed it a commendable effort by the Indian diaspora.
The folk dances which were performed by the Indian community belonged to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan.
"India's vibrant cultural diversity on display in South Africa! Members of the Indian community took the lead in showcasing folk dances from 11 states of India during a short cultural programme aptly titled 'Rhythms of a United India.' It is commendable how the Indian community has remained connected with its roots," PM Modi wrote on 'X'.
Prime Minister Modi is currently on a three-day visit to South Africa from November 21 to 23 to participate in the G20 Summit 2025.
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