KOCHI: People of all age groups from various parts of the state flocked to Kochi hours in advance to catch a glimpse of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had arrived here on a two-day state visit. “We were excited to see the prime minister. Though we couldn’t attend the youth meet, we are happy that we could see him during the roadshow. We are proud that such a huge crowd of youngsters in Kerala came together to interact with the PM. This shows that the country and its youth are going in the right direction,” said Sangeetha Sanoop, 32, who came all the way from Thrissur.
Sanal Mukalavila from Kundara echoed a similar sentiment. “The country is in the hands of the youth, and it will only develop if the youth come forward. Even catching a glimpse of PM Modi is a proud moment for us,” he said.
A bunch of school students from Amrita Vidyapeeth ITI, Karunagapally, who could attend Yuvam 2023 said Modi’s address was quite inspiring. “He did talk about the employment opportunities for youth in Kerala. As someone aspiring to attend the defence examination, the inclusion of the Malayalam language in question papers is a big boon,” said 19-year-old Appu.
Deepthi Raj, a 19-year-old from PK Das College, Palakkad, found PM’s speech about the semi-high-speed Vandhe Bharath Express encouraging amid the controversies looming around its initiation.
However, the PM’s decision not to have any one-on-one interaction was a letdown for some youngsters. “It was quite disappointing. We thought we could interact with the PM or at least listen to him answer the questions asked by others. None of this happened,” said Indirajith K R, a student from Bhavans Vidhyashram Tiruvangulam.
Though the event saw huge participation, a sizable crowd was left disappointed as they couldn’t see the PM or attend the youth meet.
A group from Tirur in Malappuram shared their plight. “We started our journey early in the morning. We even prepared a set of questions. We didn’t expect this much participation. The roads were blocked, and we had to walk from Kundannoor bridge to the college. The police could have regulated the traffic better,” said 32-year-old Rahul.
Mollywood stars add glamour to Yuvam
Kochi: A bunch of Mollywood stars added glamour to the Yuvam Youth Conclave in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an emotional appeal to the youngsters to join hands to transform Kerala. Actors Suresh Gopi, Unni Mukundan, Aparna Balamurali, Navya Nair, singers Vijay Yesudas, Harishankar and musician Stephen Devassy were among the stars who shared the stage with the prime minister. Actor Navya Nair made a scintillating dance performance ahead of the PM’s arrival while Stephen Devassy electrified the crowd with a solid performance. Former chief minister A K Antony’s son Anil Antony, who recently joined the BJP, and Yuva Morcha national president Tejaswi Surya also got a rousing welcome. Union Minister V Muraleedharan translated the prime minister’s speech. BJP state president K Surendran, vice president K S Radhakrishnan and former union minister Prakash Javadekar were among the dignitaries.
Indians in Sudan: Muraleedharan to oversee rescue operations
Kochi: Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan will leave for Jeddah to oversee the rescue efforts of the Indians stranded in the conflict-hit Sudan. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Yuvam 2023 conclave in Kochi on Monday. “Many Indians are stuck in Sudan owing to the civil war there. The Union government has started Operation Kaveri to bring them back safely. It’s being overseen by the son of Kerala and minister of our government, Muraleedharan,” said Modi. In a statement, Muraleedharan said: “I express my profound gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making me part of Operation Kaveri. I will be leaving for Jeddah shortly to oversee the rescue efforts,” he said. Muraleedharan said it’s a “great opportunity” to serve the country under a leader like Modi and the guidance of External Affairs Minister S Jaisankar.
Modi springs a surprise, walks on Kochi streets
Kochi: The prime minister surprised the huge crowd waiting to catch a glimpse of him by alighting from the car and walking on the streets during his 1.8-km roadshow. Seeing the crowd waving their hands and showering flowers on the cavalcade, Modi alighted from the car and walked for around half a kilometre. The PM, dressed in the typical Kerala attire of Kasavu dhoti and shawl, smiled graciously and waved at the crowd. After walking for 20 minutes, Modi boarded the vehicle and stood up, waving to the crowd.