Bishkek [Kyrgyzstan], August 30 (ANI): As Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kyrgyzstan, the Indian students living in the Central Asian nation as well as foreign nationals enamoured with Indian culture expressed immense enthusiasm.
The students expressed pride, honour, and excitement at the prospect of engaging with the Indian leader.
Speaking with ANI, Rushil Patel, an Indian MBBS student in Kyrgyzstan, shared his delight over the upcoming arrival.
"I am very happy that our country's Prime Minister is visiting here; until now, I have only ever seen him on TV and have never met him in person. Since he is coming here for the first time, the prospect of a face-to-face meeting fills me with genuine joy and pride--knowing that I will meet the Prime Minister and that he will interact with the entire Indian community. When the Prime Minister arrives, he will hold meetings with the President; furthermore, the environment here is excellent for Indian students. We have Indian management teams that assist us with our studies, and Indian faculty members also visit to help foreign MBBS students with their academics," he said.
Other Indian students, echoing his sentiment, highlighted the broader morale boost the visit brings to the foreign student community.
"I am very honoured to welcome our Prime Minister. Here, other Indian students are also there. It will boost other students in a great way. I am very excited to welcome him," another student said.
The anticipation extends beyond the Indian diaspora to local citizens as well. Zara Beiim Gasanova, a Kyrgyz national learning Hindi at the Embassy of India's cultural centre in Bishkek, spoke warmly about her lifelong love for India, its cinema, and the strong bilateral bond.
"Since my childhood, I was in love with India, Indian culture, movies, and songs. So, from that time, I have been very interested in India. When I saw the opportunity from the Embassy of India in Kyrgyzstan, where they announced that they were opening a Hindi class, I was very excited. I immediately joined the class and started learning Hindi. My favorite movie, I think, is Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Veer-Zaara... The relationship between India and Kyrgyzstan is very good, and a lot of students are studying here, including Indian students. I also think it will be very good for business and tourism," she said.
As high-level diplomatic discussions between India and Kyrgyzstan get underway, the warm reception from students highlights the strong educational, cultural, and people-to-people connections underpinning ties between the two nations.
PM Modi has arrived in Bishkek at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov to participate in the 26th SCO Summit, which will mark 25 years of the organisation.
At the SCO Summit, India is expected to focus on security, connectivity and historical and cultural ties across the Eurasian region. Security discussions are likely to include cooperation against terrorism, radicalisation and other external threats, while connectivity and regional transport and trade routes are also expected to feature prominently.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his visit to Uzbekistan, where he held delegation-level talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The two leaders reviewed cooperation in trade and investment, defence, digital connectivity, energy, education and people-to-people domains and set the agenda for the road ahead. (ANI)
"Pride and excitement": Indian students and local youth rejoice and welcome PM Modi in Bishkek
