Prime Minister Modi:
Mr. President,
you have made history ties
over today by becoming
the first U.S.
President to grace our
Republic Day celebration
as the guest of honor,
by being the first U.S.
President to visit India
twice while in office,
and by holding a second
summit level meeting in the
shortest ever timespan
of four months.
These milestones make this
a truly historical visit.
While I am proud that we are
creating history together,
I'm even more pleased that
we are creating a brighter
future together for our two
countries, and the world.
The relationship between
India and the United States
is a special one.
It is special because it
is a relationship forged
in the hearts and minds
of our two people,
in the commercial ties
between our two businesses,
in their stage between
our two scientists
and engineers, and in the
enduring linkage between
the hundreds of our
institutions.
This is one relationship
where the two governments
can rightfully take pride in
acknowledging that they have
successfully put in place
strategic partnership simply
by following the lead
shown by their people.
Mr. President, it is this strong
attraction and chemistry that
explains why the people of both
countries have always viewed
each other as friends in
almost every opinion poll.
It also explains why
the relationship has
consistently endured
bipartisan political support.
This natural sense of kinship
stems from the foundational
values that both our people
cherish deeply: the values
of individual liberty
and freedom, democracy,
diversity, and justice.
These core values not
only determine how
we live and how we are
governed as a nation.
They also define
our aspirations for
the future and the vision
of the world we want
to bequeath to our children
and grandchildren.
Mr. President, it is this
shared vision that holds
the solid bedrock of our
blossoming relationship.
Today our people are
collaborating in practically
every sphere of human
activity from jointly
plumbing the depths of the
ocean to understanding
the Indian monsoon to
joint space exploration
in Mars, and everything
that lies in between.
But in a relationship like
ours that has infinite
potential, there is
so much more that
we can and should do.
Excellency, I'm glad
therefore that our
countries, our deepening
strategic, security,
and defense cooperation
to make our two
countries, the region, and
the world a safer place.
The United States, in
partnering us in our
ambitions economic and developmental agenda,
through infrastructure
development,
clean energy solutions,
investment, technology,
delivering information
technology, education,
and skilling, your people
are also working with
us in setting up smart
cities, fighting disease,
and improving water,
health, and sanitation.
Mr. President, your
presence at our cherished
Republic Day Parade
tomorrow will demonstrate
to the world the growing
ties of friendship
and trust that bind our
two democracies closely,
as we create new milestones
in history and chart new
destination points in our
shared journey into the future.
Your visit, Mr.
President, symbolizes
both history and
future in the making.
Excellences, distinguished
guests, ladies and gentlemen,
may I now request you to
join me in raising a toast
to the good health of his
Excellency, President Obama,
and her Excellency,
Mrs. Michelle Obama.
To the continued
prosperity and well being
of the United States, and
to creating new milestones
that further extend the
bonds of friendship
and cooperation between
India and the United States.
(applause)
The President: Good evening.
President Mukherjee,
Prime Minister Modi,
distinguished guests, on
behalf of Michelle and myself,
I want to extend our deepest
thanks for the extraordinary
hospitality that you've
shown us here today.
We feel your friendship
-- your dosti.
And I am deeply honored to be
the first American President
to join you in celebrating
India's Republic Day.
I also want to thank
you for not making
me dance -- again.
(laughter)
The last
time we were here,
we joined some children
in Mumbai for Diwali.
And we danced.
It was pretty clear what
the Indian press thought.
One headline said, "President
Obama Visits India."
The other said, "Michelle
Obama Rocks India."
(laughter)
It is true, Michelle
is a better dancer than me.
Let me also thank my
partner and friend,
Prime Minister Modi.
I've often said that my
life story could only
happen in America.
But of course, Mr.
Prime Minister,
your story could
only happen in India.
Here this evening, we think
back to all those years ago --
to your father selling
tea in the train station,
and your mother working
at other families' homes
to support her own.
And tonight, their son welcomes
us as the Prime Minister
of the world's
largest democracy.
Now, we all know about
the Prime Minister's
legendary work ethic.
He was explaining to me
today how he only needed
three hours' sleep,
which made me feel bad;
I thought I was doing
okay with five.
(laughter)
What I didn't know
until now is that he once
survived an attack
by a crocodile.
So he's tough.
And he also has style.
One of our newspapers back
home wrote, "Move aside,
Michelle Obama.
The world has a
new fashion icon."
(laughter)
Tonight, I was
thinking about wearing
a Modi Kurta myself.
And while I do not want
to use a dinner like this
to make United States
policy, let me just
say that given the Prime
Minister's advocacy
at the United Nations,
Michelle and I are looking
forward to the first
International Yoga Day.
Our visit reflects the
deepest connections
and long friendship
between our peoples.
One of America's greatest
poets was Walt Whitman,
and more than a century ago
he wrote a poem --
"Passage to India" --
in which he celebrated
the technological
ingenuity and human spirit
that joins our nations.
He wrote: "Seest though not
God's purpose from the first?
The earth to be spann'd,
connected by network,
the people to become
brothers and sisters."
Here, in our time, these
words have come to pass.
India and America have
spanned the Earth,
connected and networked by
technology and by family,
including millions
of Indian Americans,
among them our nation's
first Indian American
ambassador to
India, Rich Verma.
And in the shared
work of our world,
our purpose -- lifting
up our fellow citizens,
advancing human dignity --
we, as the poet predicted,
have become brothers
and sisters.
Tomorrow, we will
celebrate Republic Day.
We will honor the generations
of Indians who built
this nation through toil
and tears and iron will.
And at the end of the day,
I'm told the band will play
that hymn that was dear to
the heart of Mahatma Gandhi:
Abide with me; fast
falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens;
Lord with me abide.
When other helpers
fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless,
O abide with me.
And so I propose a toast,
if I can get a glass --
oh, here we go.
To the great partnership
between our nations
and the friendship -- the
dosti -- between our peoples.
Here in the eventide, Indians
and Americans, let us know,
in the darkness or day,
in good times or bad,
whenever one of us looks
to the other, we will
surely say, abide with me.
Cheers!
