By Rupang Bhatt
Ahmedabad

This was never in the past and probably never in the future crowd in Dubai in non-sports event. To conceive such community reception programme was itself a daring act. If not Modi, some other leader could choose an auditorium or a community hall. But forget even that, any leader from India didn’t visit this country in last 34 years. Even Indira Gandhi’s visit 34 years back was a clubbed one and not exclusive. You saw what Modi spoke, but the event itself also speaks a lot. It tells us that Modi doesn’t like small things(select audience, auditorium reception), he likes the things bigger, in fact biggest possible. Once you target big, there’s risk of failure. Modi takes that risk. Then he has planning, team, resources, and everything is connected very well to achieve the success. Modi is Modi because he is Modi. Same level of efforts would not yield this big audience and enthusiasm, energy, support if the leader from India was not Modi and someone else. Therefore such an event was never seen before, and most probably will not be seen in future too. That national anthem of both countries, that standing ovation for crown prince for allotment of land for first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, that message to those involved in terror activities, that words spoken from the stage, but more importantly the response heard and watched from the audience side, that long queues of people under scorching sun outside the stadium hours before Modi arrived, that houseful stadium and equally passionate crowds outside the stadium, the scene was unique, as unique as similar receptions in America and Australia. Possibly London next, most probably this year only. In Dr Kalam we had people’s President. In Modi we can very much see people’s prime minister.

What a crowd. The largest for a non-sport event in the UAE. Easily 40,000 people for @narendramodi. Pic via @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/MnS6EOvyfp

— سلطان سعود القاسمي (@SultanAlQassemi) August 17, 2015