The Hague, May 16 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi used a high-profile address to the Indian diaspora in the Netherlands on Saturday to deliver a dual message: a sobering warning that global crises threaten to reverse decades of poverty reduction worldwide, and an ambitious pitch that India, amid this turbulence, stands ready to become an engine of growth for the planet.
Speaking for over 40 minutes at a community event in The Hague, the second stop on his five-nation European tour, Modi told the gathering that the present decade had become a succession of catastrophes, beginning with the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by armed conflicts, and now an energy crisis worsened by hostilities in West Asia.
"First came the coronavirus pandemic; then wars began to break out, and now there is an energy crisis. This decade is turning into a decade of disasters for the world," he said in Hindi.
He warned that without a change in course, the cost would be generational. If these situations are not rapidly changed, he said, "achievements of The past many decades would be washed away, and a huge section of the world's population would be pushed back into poverty."
Despite that warning, much of Modi's address focused on India's direction.
He described the country as going through "unprecedented transformation" and said its goals now extend well beyond its borders. "India of the 21st century is a land of opportunities. India is both technology-driven and humanity-driven," he told the crowd.
He pointed to numbers to back the claim. India had four unicorns in 2014.
That number has grown to nearly 125 today. The country now ranks as the world's third-largest startup ecosystem. Modi also cited India's Chandrayaan-3 mission, which in 2023 landed on a part of the Moon no other mission had reached before, and said India is working on one of the world's most advanced fast breeder nuclear reactors. He also referenced India's hosting of the G20 New Delhi Summit and what he described as the world's largest AI Summit.
"These were not merely one-time events; this has now become the character and confidence of today's India," he said.
Modi told the diaspora that India's goals now include hosting the Olympics, building itself into a global manufacturing hub, leading in green energy, and acting as a growth engine for the world economy.
He asked the Indian community in the Netherlands and others he called "friends of India" to strengthen their ties with the country. "This will strengthen India's capabilities, and it will also bring greater returns on your investments, and this is Modi's guarantee," he said.
On India-Netherlands ties, he said the two countries are working together on green hydrogen, water security, and energy security.
He also pointed to the recently signed trade agreement between India and the European Union as a foundation for stronger bilateral trade.
He called the Netherlands a "natural gateway" for Indian businesses entering Europe and said the diaspora could serve as a bridge in that process.
Modi drew a comparison between the Netherlands' tulip and India's lotus, saying both flowers show that roots in different conditions can still produce strength and beauty. He used the image to describe the partnership between the two countries.
He also acknowledged the Indian community's role in Dutch cricket, naming players Teja Nidamanuru, Vikramjit Singh, and Aryan Dutt as examples of that contribution.
On the domestic front, Modi pointed to voter turnout figures from recent assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry, where participation ranged from 80 to 90 per cent.
He said women's participation had gone up across states. "When people's dreams are fulfilled, their faith in democracy grows stronger as well," he said.
He took a light jab at opposition parties by asking the crowd whether Jhalmuri, a street snack from eastern India, had reached the Netherlands. The reference was to a moment during campaigning in West Bengal, where Modi was seen eating the snack at a local shop. His party went on to win the state elections.
Modi also noted the personal significance of the day. May 16 marks 12 years since his party won the general elections in India.
"A stable and absolute majority government was set to be formed in India after decades," he said. He reflected on his own career, citing 13 years as chief minister, 12 years as
prime minister, and 25 years in public life.
Modi arrived in the Netherlands on Friday after a stop in the UAE. His tour continues to Sweden, Norway, and Italy.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.