When Narendra Modi, as Gujarat CM, visited UK to thank diaspora for assistance during Bhuj quake
New Delhi: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to the United Kingdom, an old incident of his ‘UK diaspora connect’ has come to light, where he made special efforts to thank the people of Indian origin in Britain for the assistance they extended to Gujarat, particularly Bhuj, hit by one of the worst earthquakes in 2001.
In January 2001, Gujarat’s Bhuj town was struck by a devastating earthquake of 6.9 magnitude, claiming thousands of lives.
The instance of PM Modi’s “thanksgiving” to the Indian diaspora in the UK has been shared by Modi Archive, a popular social media handle on X.
Narrating the devastation and rehabilitation of Bhuj post-quake, it says that in August 2003, two years after the Bhuj earthquake shook Gujarat, the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to the United Kingdom with a special message for the diaspora – “You are all the real friends of Gujarat”.
The visit, which was primarily for thanking the Indian diaspora, saw CM Modi addressing thousands of Indians who had mobilised support, aid, and resources for Gujarat during the 2001 earthquake.
“You are all the real friends of Gujarat, and I have come to reciprocate the loyalty. We have slept in the street of death and today I have come to repay a debt of friendship to those who helped us in our hour of need,” he told the packed gathering at the Wembley Conference Centre.
He also praised the diaspora not just for their generosity, but for their emotional connection to India, calling them “the true friends of Gujarat”.
During the visit, the then Chief Minister also inaugurated the Shakti Hall at the Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice offices on August 20, 2003, and true to his style, he spoke of the future.
In a speech fondly recalled by the editors of Asian Voice, he coined a now-iconic line: “IT is not Information Technology”, he had said.
“IT is India Today. BT is not Biotechnology. It is Bharat Today. IT and IT equals IT. That means Information Technology and Indian Talent is India Tomorrow,” he added.
The visit also included a meeting with the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was in London at the time.