PM Modi breaking barriers to make India 'Vishwaguru', say prominent attendees at key London event

London, May 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's growing stature as a global leader was once again on full show as The Unity of Faiths Foundation (TUFF) and NID Foundation, which works in association with the Indian Minorities Foundation (IMF), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in London, earlier this week to further the vision of 'Viksit Bharat'.

The organisations, which have relentlessly worked towards creating a more inclusive and equitable world over the past decade, joined hands to enhance community cohesion and promote social inclusion by leveraging their presence in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, India, Iceland, and South Africa.

The UK-based charitable organisation TUFF was founded in 2013 with the goals of enhancing social integration, financial inclusion and community integration. It is known for its comprehensive community engagement and initiatives to help rebuild social integration, financial inclusion, and community cohesion in global settings while NID Foundation and IMF are recognised for their commitment to the empowerment of Indian minority communities.

TUFF co-founder and social psychologist Shamender Talwar, a British citizen whose father hails from New Delhi, insists that the same NRIs who used to feel a bit "embarrassed to be called an Indian" earlier are now proud to call themselves from Bharat, all thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has enhanced the image of the nation massively over the last 10 years.

"That shows the incredible power, the upliftment, the empowerment that PM Modi has brought to every single Indian on the whole planet. There is no doubt about that all," Talwar told IANS after the signing of the MoU in London.

Another co-founder of the Unity of Faiths Foundation, Ann Clare Bornholt, an Australian citizen, believes that Prime Minister Modi has "touched the hearts and the divine spark in everybody, giving everyone a big hope" with eyes firmly set on 2047," said Bornholt.

She added: "I think that Prime Minister Modi is very secular and has been embracing so many difficult situations that have lasted for way too long in India. He is managing to break through barriers that nobody even attempted to do before. And, he is doing it with such an exceptional approach".

Nunzio Quacquarelli, the founder-president of London-based education services provider QS Quacquarelli Symonds, recalled his meeting with PM Modi in October 2021, saying that the Indian PM's passion for education and genuine commitment to raising the quality of education across the country remains unmatched.

"It was fascinating to see his vision for India to make a 'Vishwaguru' and set a standard for world-class education for everyone. The Indian higher education system has made huge progress under PM Modi in the last 10 years. It was perhaps under-funded earlier and focused more on quantity rather than quality. It has now transformed completely," said Quacquarelli.

He elaborated on how India, under PM Modi, is now the fourth largest producer of research papers in the world, has a top institute like IISc Bengaluru and has institutions which are in the list of top-ranked universities in the world.

"I believe that Indian higher education is on a very positive trajectory. Modi hai toh education mumkin hai," he remarked.

Heaping praise on India and PM Modi, Edwin Shukhar, a Jew born in Iraq who has been a Tuff Trustee since 2013, said that India is probably the only place in the world where anti-Semitism never stood a chance.

"My ancestors lived and still live in peace and prosperity there (in India), following their religion. Many years ago, I met PM Modi along with a Jewish philanthropist. We realised at that time that Prime Minister Modi is not just a leader, Prime Minister Modi was India and India was him," said Shukhar.

Sarosh Zaiwalla, a hugely-experienced litigator and the first non-white to start a law firm in London, says he is quite impressed with PM Modi as he wants to get rid of corruption, the "biggest problem" India has had over the years.

"India is now the fifth richest economy in the world and is expected to be in the third spot soon. That is something that many would have never expected. I left India with three Pounds in my pocket 42 years ago because that was all the Reserve Bank gave us. Today, things have changed so much and there are no exchange control restrictions. India is progressing to its rightful place," he said.