The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today said the deep bonds that India and Japan share are not just because of the efforts of the two Governments, but because ordinary people have “nurtured this sapling and turned it into a strong tree. In his address at a welcome reception hosted by the Japan India Association and Japan-India Parliamentary Friendship league, the Prime Minister said Japan and India shared a spiritual partnership, and noted that the Japan-India Association is 110 years old – in fact, older than any other such association in Japan.
The Prime Minister said the enthusiasm to learn Hindi is increasing in Japan, and Yoga is also becoming popular. He also remarked how he had received a letter from the association urging him to speak in Hindi when he comes to Japan.
The Prime Minister referred to a gentleman aged over ninety, who had once worked with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, and still recalls incidents associated with Netaji. The Prime Minister said he had asked the Indian Ambassador in Tokyo, Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa, to depute a professional team with this gentleman for a month, so that a video recording could be made of his interviews.
The Prime Minister also suggested expanding links between people’s representatives. He suggested creation of a Young Parliamentary Association and a Women Parliamentary Association; and visits from representatives of state legislative assemblies from India, and local government representatives from Japan. The Prime Minister urged representatives from Japan to visit cities other than Delhi.
