“You can take an Indian out of India, but you cannot take India out of an Indian” Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Indian community in Georgetown on Friday as he wrapped up a successful three-nation tour of Nigeria, Brazil and Guyana.

Highlighting that the commonalities between India and Guyana provide a strong foundation to their friendship, he said ”Culture, Cuisine and Cricket” are three important things in particular that connect the two nations.

”I always call our diaspora the Rashtradoots,They are the ambassadors of Indian culture and values,” he told the audience amid a thunderous applause.

The PM said he was deeply honoured to receive ”The Order of Excellence”, the highest national award of Guyana, and thanked the people of the Caribbean nation for the gesture.

Recalling his visit to the Indian arrival monument in Georgetown, he remarked that it brought to life the long and arduous journey of the ancestors of Indo- Guyanese people nearly two centuries ago.

Noting that the people had come from different parts of India, Mr Modi said they brought with them the diversity of cultures, languages and traditions and made Guyana their home over time. He added that these languages, stories and traditions are today a rich part of the culture of Guyana. He lauded the spirit of the Indo-Guyanese community for their fight for freedom and democracy. He noted that they had worked to make Guyana one of the fastest-growing economies, leading to its rise to top from humble beginnings.

He told the audience that this year’s Diwali in India was special as Shri Ram Lalla had returned to Ayodhya after 500 years. He further added that the people of India remember that the holy water and shilas from Guyana were also sent to build the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. He observed that their cultural connect with ”Mother India” is strong, despite the fact that they are so far away from their country of origin.

Touching upon the cuisine, the PM noted that the Indo-Guyanese community also has a unique food tradition which has both Indian and Guyanese elements.

Discussing the love for Cricket which binds the two nations strongly, he said it is not just a sport, but a way of life, deeply embedded in their national identity.

Mr Modi underlined that India and Guyana have a shared history that binds them together such as the common struggle against colonial rule, love for democratic values and respect for diversity. “We have a shared future that we want to create,” he said, emphasising the aspirations for growth and development, Commitment towards economy and ecology and belief in a just and inclusive world order.

Expressing that the people of Guyana are well-wishers of India, he highlighted “India’s journey over the past decade has been one of scale, speed and sustainability. In just ten years, India has grown from the tenth largest economy to the fifth largest and soon, it will become the third-largest.

Lauding the youth, he said they have made India the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world. He further highlighted that India is a global hub for e-commerce, AI, fintech, agriculture, technology and more. Emphasising India’s space missions to Mars and the moon, the PM said from highways to i-ways, airways to railways, India is building state of art infrastructure. Underling that India has a strong service sector, he said that now India is also becoming stronger in manufacturing and has become the second largest mobile manufacturer in the world.

“India’s growth has not only been inspirational but also inclusive”, he said, adding India’s digital public infrastructure is empowering the poor and the government has opened over 500 million bank accounts for the people and connected these bank accounts with digital identity and mobiles. This, he said, helped people receive assistance directly in their bank accounts