Melbourne Gears Up for Massive Narendra Modi Event

It may be a grey July day, but inside a community hall in Melbourne's south-east, it is a riot of colour.

Australia's Indian community is gearing up to welcome Narendra Modi to Melbourne this Thursday at a massive event of Bollywood proportions.

The Indian prime minister is visiting Australia from July 8 to 10 as part of the Australia-India Annual Leaders' Summit.

On Thursday, he and Australian PM Anthony Albanese will appear at the booked-out Melbourne Meets Modi event at Docklands Stadium.

Mr Modi has visited Sydney twice in his time as prime minister — in 2014, and for a massive public event in 2023 that attracted thousands.

He also visited Melbourne in 2014, but this gathering is a first for the city that's home to Australia's largest Indian population.

The two-hour Melbourne show, brimming with colour, pomp, ceremony and music to rival any Bollywood production, aims to showcase the length and breadth of the subcontinent's culture.

Hindustani classical vocal musician Viraj Salvi is part of an ensemble singing a version of the iconic song, Ek Sur, or In Unison, showcasing unity in diversity.

"India is very pluralistic. Every state has a different language, clothes and food," Mr Salvi said.

"The song highlights this unity in diversity, using different music, instruments, like violin and percussion.

Mr Salvi said he was very "honoured and excited" to be performing at the event as he had personally seen India develop at a rapid pace since Mr Modi took office in 2014.

"In my hometown, I have seen the girl child being given free education, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan — Clean India Mission — being implemented," he said.

"I feel very honoured to be performing in front of Mr Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese."

Anjali Bhagwat, who is organising a cultural fiesta as part of the event, said they had received more than 200 expressions of interest from people wanting to perform.

"There are 17 teams and 33 performances."

Ms Bhagwat, who has a doctorate in clinical research in heart and diabetes, said she used her skills in project and data management to "pipeline" the "overwhelming" response.

Pranav Aggarwal, a spokesman for the Australia India Foundation, which is organising the entire "historic event", said more than 400 community organisations from across Australia had shown interest in taking part.

"We have had massive interest, but given space constraints, we should have anywhere between 18,000 to 20,000 people in the stadium watching the prime minister speak live," he said.

Mr Aggarwal said nearly 600 volunteers had helped to put the event together, clocking up more than 30,000 volunteer hours.

A bridge between two nations

Across town, Satnam Singh Dhillon and his family are preparing to see, and hopefully meet, Mr Modi.

Mr Dhillon, a businessman who has been in Australia for 12 years, lives with his mother, wife, and their two children in Melbourne's north.

Like others, Mr Dhillon is impressed with Mr Modi's work on improving India's infrastructure of trains, roads and airports.

He is hoping the visit will raise the Indian community's profile in a positive way and improve ties between the two countries, especially in the wake of increased racism.

"We came here for a good future, we work hard, pay our taxes," Mr Dhillon said.

Visit draws ire of India's opposition

However, for all the love, Mr Modi also has many detractors of what they say are his pro-Hindu politics.

Yesterday, the Australian Federal Police said it had officially warned a person who made a death threat towards the Indian prime minister ahead of his arrival.

Meanwhile Manoj Sheoran, the national president of Indian Overseas Congress Australia, described Mr Modi's visit as nothing but a "political campaign and posturing".

His group represents the Indian National Congress, a party that ruled India for more than 60 years since the country's independence in 1947.

Mr Sheoran said the diaspora were concerned about India's economy, the energy crisis affecting people and the polarisation of the Indian society.

"Diaspora has been demanding ... government must create some mechanism on how the non-resident Indian diaspora can vote in Indian elections."

A chance to showcase Indian culture

For the Goan Overseas Association of Victoria's Gerard Lobo, the event is an opportunity to showcase Goan culture, both to the world and the Indian prime minister.

He said despite living away, India would always be a part of the diaspora's heart.

As a Catholic from Goa, he has worked with people from all over India.

"And I find that even though we are so different, our ethics and our principles are the same,"

he said.