DUBAI: Thousands of Indians gathered in the sunny morning at Dubai Opera, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed the Shila Pujan (Hindu religious prayer) of the stone temple to be built in Abu Dhabi and addressed the gathered members of the community.
The event was organized as a theatrical production. Famous Indian Tabla (Indian drum instrument) player Bickram Ghosh along with his team entertained the audience with live music. And then 12-year-old Sucheta, a student at an Indian high school in Dubai, sang a medley in 7 different languages including Arabic.
Dubai Opera is a 2,000-seat, multi-format performing arts center, which is located within the Opera District in downtown Dubai. The signature venue for arts and culture events in the city, was packed with colorfully dressed enthusiastic Indians. This was the first time any Indian head of the state used the venue to speak to its countrymen. There were many who were emotionally charged and chanted “Modi, Modi” and “Jai Hind” (long live India).
Three short documentaries were shown about how India’s soft power is expanding across the world, such as Bollywood, Yoga, and Indian cuisine.
When Modi, came at the stage, the audience gave him a standing ovation as a warm welcome.
Before the Modi’s much-awaited speech, a live broadcast was shown from the site of Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, where special inaugural prayers were happening. Modi, inaugurated the construction site here at Opera House by unveiling the temple monument, covered by palm leaves.
“Palm leaves reflect the peace and harmony of the UAE that gives shade to all people of the world,” said the event host from back stage.
India’s Ambassador to the UAE, Navdeep Singh Suri, while welcoming his prime minister, highlighted the growing India-UAE ties. “When the Indian community see Burj Khalifa lit up with the Indian flag, it gives a lot of energy and enthusiasm to them. And today it’s more than just the address to the Indian community as it is the culmination of a long-held desire for a temple which is coming to fruition,” he said.
In about 20 minutes of his speech, Modi talked about the growing UAE-India relationship. He spoke in Hindi. “It is no more a buyer-seller relationship, but that of partnership,” Modi said, thanking the GCC countries for giving home-like conditions to over 3 million Indians across the region.
“This is an excellent example of human relations between Indians and the Gulf countries,” Modi said. While talking about temple in Abu Dhabi, he thanked Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed on behalf of all 125 crore Indians.
“A temple is a catalytic agent of spiritual life. It will help build a new image of India.” He further said that it is our [Indians] responsibility to honor the trust shown by the UAE leadership,” he said.
“India is changing rapidly, and you can experience it here,” he said.
“The UAE is a second home for Indians. One can find Indians here from almost all parts of the country.”
Modi said that India is changing. “There was a time, when people in India were pessimistic and wanted to leave the country for a better future. But just in four years, things have changed in the Indian. Uncertainty has replaced confidence and faith.”
“Changes may bring problems. But they are temporary. India is moving in the right direction. India is changing,” he said.
After speaking to the community, Modi headed toward a government summit where he spoke about technology and governance.
Modi will leave for Oman this evening and will address another gathering of Indian community in Muscat.
India is changing, Modi tells Indian expats in UAE
India is changing, Modi tells Indian expats in UAE
Trump says ‘hopefully’ no need for military action against Iran
- US president said he is speaking with Iran and left open the possibility of avoiding a military operation
- An Iranian military spokesman warned Tehran’s response to any US action would not be limited
PARIS: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he hoped to avoid military action against Iran, which has threatened to strike American bases and aircraft carriers in response to any attack.
Trump said he is speaking with Iran and left open the possibility of avoiding a military operation after earlier warning time was “running out” for Tehran as the United States sends a large naval fleet to the region.
When asked if he would have talks with Iran, Trump told reporters: “I have had and I am planning on it.”
“We have a group headed out to a place called Iran, and hopefully we won’t have to use it,” the US president added, while speaking to media at the premiere of a documentary about his wife Melania.
As Brussels and Washington dialed up their rhetoric and Iran issued stark threats this week, UN chief Antonio Guterres has called for nuclear negotiations to “avoid a crisis that could have devastating consequences in the region.”
An Iranian military spokesman warned Tehran’s response to any US action would not be limited — as it was in June last year when American planes and missiles briefly joined Israel’s short air war against Iran — but would be a decisive response “delivered instantly.”
Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akraminia told state television US aircraft carriers have “serious vulnerabilities” and that numerous American bases in the Gulf region are “within the range of our medium-range missiles.”
“If such a miscalculation is made by the Americans, it will certainly not unfold the way Trump imagines — carrying out a quick operation and then, two hours later, tweeting that the operation is over,” he said.
An official in the Gulf, where states host US military sites, said that fears of a US strike on Iran are “very clear.”
“It would bring the region into chaos, it would hurt the economy not just in the region but in the US and cause oil and gas prices to skyrocket,” the official added.
‘Protests crushed in blood’
Qatar’s leader Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian held a call to discuss “efforts being made to de-escalate tensions and establish stability,” the Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
The European Union, meanwhile, piled on the pressure by designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a “terrorist organization” over a deadly crackdown on recent mass protests.
“’Terrorist’ is indeed how you call a regime that crushes its own people’s protests in blood,” said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, welcoming the “overdue” decision.
Though largely symbolic, the EU decision has already drawn a warning from Tehran.
Iran’s military slammed “the illogical, irresponsible and spite-driven action of the European Union,” alleging the bloc was acting out of “obedience” to Tehran’s arch-foes the United States and Israel.
Iranian officials have blamed the recent protest wave on the two countries, claiming their agents spurred “riots” and a “terrorist operation” that hijacked peaceful rallies sparked over economic grievances.
Rights groups have said thousands of people were killed during the protests by security forces, including the IRGC — the ideological arm of Tehran’s military.
In Tehran on Thursday, citizens expressed grim resignation.
“I think the war is inevitable and a change must happen. It can be for worse, or better. I am not sure,” said a 29-year-old waitress, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
“I am not in favor of war. I just want something to happen that would result in something better.”
Another 29-year-old woman, an unemployed resident of an upscale neighborhood in northern Tehran, said: “I believe that life has highs and lows and we are now at the lowest point.”
Trump had threatened military action if protesters were killed in the anti-government demonstrations that erupted in late December and peaked on January 8 and 9.
But his more recent statements have turned to Iran’s nuclear program, which the West believes is aimed at making an atomic bomb.
On Wednesday, he said “time is running out” for Tehran to make a deal, warning the US naval strike group that arrived in Middle East waters on Monday was “ready, willing and able” to hit Iran.
Conflicting tolls
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it has confirmed 6,479 people were killed in the protests, as Internet restrictions imposed on January 8 continue to slow verification.
But rights groups warn the toll is likely far higher, with estimates in the tens of thousands.
Iranian authorities acknowledge that thousands were killed during the protests, giving a toll of more than 3,000 deaths, but say the majority were members of the security forces or bystanders killed by “rioters.”
Billboards and banners have gone up in the capital Tehran to bolster the authorities’ messages. One massive poster appears to show an American aircraft carrier being destroyed.
