Indian diaspora in Thailand out in full force for PM Modi
When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Bangkok on Thursday to attend the 6th Summit of the BIMSTEC, members of the Indian diaspora were out in full force to welcome him with chants of 'Vande Mataram' and 'Jai Hind' as they await PM Modi's arrival in Bangkok.
PM Modi was received by Thailand Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya Jungrungreangkit at the airport.
He shared pictures from the airport upon his arrival, in which he was seen shaking hands and interacting with the exuberant Indian community.
On PM Modi's visit, Lalivan Karnchanachari, Thailand's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs told ANI, "Today, we welcome PM Modi to our beautiful country as he is here to attend the BIMSTEC meeting. We saw a mixture of Indian and Thai cultures during the performance. The PM will have a great time here."
Later, the PM also witnessed the Thai version of the Ramayana, Ramakien.
Ekkalak Nu-ngoen, alongwith a group of students from the Faculty of Music and Drama, Bunditpatanasilpa Institute, Thailand presented the retelling of the epic through the fusion of two dance forms - Bharatanatyam from India and Khon from Thailand.
The timeless epic of Ramayana holds a very special place both in India and Thailand. It is a story of Lord Rama, the Prince of Ayodhya or Ayutthaya. In the Thai adaptation, Lord Rama becomes Phra Ram.
Both versions, however, extol the same virtues of sacrifice, duty, devotion, and triumph of good over evil. This epic is an exemplar of shared cultural heritage between India and Thailand as similar values are cherished in both cultures.
During his stay in Bangkok, PM Modi is set to meet Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to discuss the full spectrum of India-Thailand relations. He is also scheduled to meet with Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn as part of his diplomatic visit.
The MEA said that this would be the first physical meeting of the BIMSTEC Leaders since the fourth BIMSTEC Summit in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2018. The last ie fifth BIMSTEC Summit was held at Colombo, Sri Lanka in March 2022 in virtual format. The 6th Summit's theme is "BIMSTEC - Prosperous, Resilient and Open." The Leaders are expected to deliberate on ways and means to infuse greater momentum to BIMSTEC cooperation during the Summit.
The 6th BIMSTEC Summit set to take place on Friday, marking a significant regional engagement between India and its neighbouring countries in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) group.
(ANI)