Even though the Quad meeting scheduled for the coming week stands cancelled, PM Modi would reportedly visit Australia for a planned bilateral program and a ‘Little India’ awaiting him Down Under.
Australian PM Albanese expressed hope that PM Modi would visit the country despite the cancellation of the Quad meeting for the events planned for his trip.
PM Modi’s visit to Australia comes against the backdrop of an important bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart, PM Albanese.
Flash: "Prime Minister Modi has a bilateral program that is organised so I'm certain that he will be here", Australia PM Albanese on PM Modi's visit even as Prez Biden's visit has been postponed to the country
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 17, 2023
‘Little India’ awaits PM Modi in Australia
Besides, a collective of approximately 60 Indian shop owners, who have been actively advocating for the renaming of Harris Park, are also eagerly waiting to receive Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his visit to Sydney. The Prime Minister has been invited to lay the foundation stone for the ‘Little India’ Gateway entrance.
The Indian business community in Harris Park is making preparations to warmly receive Mr Modi. They refer to the collection of Indian restaurants and retail shops as ‘Little India’ and believe that formalizing the nickname would enhance the area’s attractiveness to tourists.
Behind the scenes, Andrew Charlton, the Member of Parliament for Parramatta, has been actively collaborating with government officials from both major political parties to facilitate Mr Modi’s visit to Harris Park.
According to Sanjay Deshwal, the president of the Little India Harris Park Business Association, the initial proposal to officially name the area ‘Little India’ was made in 2015. However, the efforts faced a setback when the Geographic Names Board advised the Parramatta Council to refrain from using the term, citing concerns of potential confusion.
With PM Modi’s visit, the Indian businesses ar Harris Park are upbeat that their demand would finally be fulfilled and the area would be formally named ‘Little India’.
Parramatta councillor Paul Noack, who initiated the motion, expressed the aspiration to establish the area as an international destination akin to places like Little India in Singapore and other renowned locations worldwide. This initiative, he stated, would put Harris Park on the map. It is important to note that the proposed designation of the three main streets as a cultural precinct would not replace the suburb name Harris Park.
The Quad meeting was cancelled following US President Joe Biden’s last-minute withdrawal due to the domestic debt ceiling crisis. It is now expected that the four leaders of the Quad grouping – the US, Japan, India, and Australia – will convene on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in Japan this weekend.
