Madison square turned into 'Modison' square, says Swami Chidanand Saraswati

Overwhelmed after hearing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at the Madison Square Garden, Swami Chidanand Saraswati, founder of the Hindu Jain Temple in Pittsburgh said here that the Madison Square Garden had turned into 'Modison' Square.

"In Madison Square today I could see the feeling, the touch and the enthusiasm as it became like a Modison square," Swami Chidanand Saraswati said.

He also recounted how he was asked by someone what happened at Madison Square today, to which he replied 'India happened today'.

"This is a great change and it is happening in a beautiful and historical way. India believes in inclusiveness and PM Modi gives a message of inclusiveness - all are one and we are one family. We have to share everything together," said Swami Chidanand Saraswati, who is also the president and spiritual head of the Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh.

Referring to Prime Minister Modi's speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Swami said, "PM Modi said why not 'G all' and that is the message Indian spirit has."

Besides Swami Chidanand, Sadhvi Bhagwati also said, "I felt that he did an excellent job today. In the west if you go to any school or college you can see Indians everywhere. Everybody knows that Indians are exceeding. Prime Minister Modi did not just show the success of India but the spirit of India."

"You cannot be a global leader if your policies and priorities and values only apply to one or five percent of population. The leader who has toilets on one hand and missiles and space shuttles to Mars on the other hand, that's a global leader," she added.

Prime Minister Modi had yesterday addressed an estimated audience of 20,000 people, a majority of them Indian Americans, at New York's famous Madison Square Garden where he exhorted the Indian American community to join in the development effort for India.

Pointing out that development is ultimately achieved through public participation, the Prime Minister said he wanted to make development a mass movement, just like Mahatma Gandhi had made the freedom movement a mass movement.

He highlighted various initiatives that have been initiated by the new Government including Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Make in India, Swachh Bharat and Clean Ganga.

He also highlighted the unique combination of three great strengths that India has: democracy, demography and demand while pointing out that for India, democracy is not just a system of governance, but an article of faith.