KUALA LUMPUR/NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Saturday chose an Indian community event in Kuala Lumpur to shower praise on Tamil culture and highlight the presence of several Tamilians in key positions in India. The focus on Tamilians was, though, very much in order as they make up an overwhelming majority of people of Indian origins in Malaysia. Tamil literature is eternal and its culture global, he emphasised, noting that Malaysia is home to the second largest population of Indian-origin community in the world.
In India, he said, Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan is a Tamilian and so are key members of his govt, EAM S Jaishankar and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. A junior minister L Murugan is from Tamil Nadu as well, he added. Though he has often voiced his admiration for Tamil language and culture, his generous praise at the event in Kuala Lumpur had political significance as well, as Tamil Nadu is headed for the assembly polls. At the ‘Selamat Datang Modi Ji (welcome Modi)’ event, Modi recalled that when he first visited Malaysia in 2015, India was in the 11th spot of the economic ladder and today, a decade later, in the top three. “With the world’s largest digital public infrastructure propelling country’s economy, creating third largest start-up hub in the world, the country is ensuring clean and green growth,” he added, announcing that “UPI would be available in Malaysia very soon.“ He announced India’s decision to open its first consulate in Malaysia to strengthen ongoing cooperation between India and Malaysia and expand outreach to the Indian community in Malaysia. He said Tamil is India’s gift to the world. Noting that Tamil diaspora has been present in Malaysia for many centuries, he said inspired by its history, India had established the Thiruvalluvar Chair at the University of Malaya and would now set up a Thiruvalluvar Centre to further strengthen shared heritage. The Prime Minister praised his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim for the warm welcome accorded to him and said it emphasised his love and respect for India and the Indian community. Anwar who was present at the meeting had called Modi “a great friend”.