US Singer Mary Millben extols PM Modi for including African Union as full G20 member
US Singer Mary Millben extols PM Modi for including African Union as full G20 member
Mary Milben, the Award-winning international singer heaped praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for having included the African Union as a full member of the G20.
Over an interaction with a news agency, PM Modi had said Africa is “top priority” for India and that it works for the inclusion of those in global affairs who feel their voices are not being heard.
Adding that India backs inclusion of the African Union as a full member of the Group of 20 largest economies as no plan for the future of the planet can be successful without the representation and recognition of all voices.
In the last few years, India has been positioning itself as a leading voice, flagging concerns, challenges and aspirations of the Global South or the developing nations, especially the African continent.
In a video message Mary said
the global south can now shape policies impacting our world.
Millben, emerged extremely popular in India for her rendition of India’s national anthem and religious song ‘Om Jai Jagdish Hare’.
With this privilege comes duty- to be the voice of the marginalised, uphold democratic values and foster human dignity. The enduring friendship between the US and India must also champion this cause. A cause that ensures all voices are represented in solving the world’s most challenging problems.
She feels elated that India is prepared to be Africa’s steadfast partner in realising this promise. The United States must also be a greater partner in Africa’s growth story, Millben said.
She added that they will strive for a just world order where developing nations have equal access to renewable energy, clean water, nutritious food, and affordable health care. Together, we will write a new chapter based on ‘South by South’ cooperation.
The Indian diaspora in Africa and the African diaspora in India have preserved the heritage of the motherland while assimilating into local cultures. This cross-pollination of traditions has enriched both societies, she noted.
“The real change from North to South, East to West, starts from within and echoes across our nation’s heartlands. The US-India partnership is rooted in the essence of the heartland,” Millben said.
She also elaborated that their farmers toil on the land, energy workers fuel our homes, soldiers guard our freedom. Their values of service, courage and community, are the true backbone of society. May we always celebrate these unsung heroes walking the path of sacrifice with honesty and grit.
She also added that equally, the US-India partnership is founded on shared values of democracy, liberty, and innovation. It’s a relationship that holds immense potential, not just for the two nations but for the world at large.
She is formally recognized as a US State Department cultural envoy and regarded as a cultural ambassador across the world for her effective leadership in cultural diplomacy, interfaith dialogue, and advocacy for global inclusion.
Mary’s artistic career has a very intimate perspective and inside relationship with American politics and Washington DC, blessed with bipartisan support from the US Senate and US House of Representatives leadership.
Following in the footsteps of Martin Luther King Jr. and his pilgrimage to India in 1959, in August 2022, Mary made her first trip to India performing in celebration of India’s 75th anniversary of Independence as an official guest from the US invited by the government of India, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
She made history, as the first American and African-American artist to be invited to India for the Independence Day observance and for an audience of 1.4 billion people.
Earlier on June 23 this year, Mary performed for the guests in Washington DC at the concluding event for the official state visit of PM Modi to the US. Formally invited by the steering committee for the PM’s official state visit, Mary performed the Indian national anthem to an invitation-only, diaspora event hosted by the US-Indian Community Foundation (USICF) at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington DC.
Mary’s global performance of the Indian national anthem performed virtually in 2020 for the 74th anniversary of India’s independence day, and the treasured Hindu hymn ‘Om Jai Jagdish Hare’ for the 2020 Diwali observance has been praised and viewed by millions across the US India, and the world.
News Edit K.V.Raman
