Indian media say,Modi visit marks improved ties with Australia
The Indian media have hailed prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia as heralding an improved relationship between the two countries, which was once marred by tensions over violence against Indian students.
Modi mania took over Canberra, as the prime minister addressed a joint sitting of parliament and a packed public gallery on Tuesday morning.
A large number of Indian news outlets carried live coverage of the address – the first to the Australian parliament by an Indian prime minister.
“The visit has been received very well in India,” Mukesh Kaushik, special correspondent with United News of India said. He was one of just five journalists travelling with Modi. A number of photographers and camera operators were also part of the travelling press pack.
Suhasini Haidar, diplomatic and strategic affairs editor at the Hindu newspaper, told Guardian Australia that the new prime minister had been receiving saturation coverage since he took office in May.
“Anything he does is followed very closely,” she said. “His interaction with the diaspora community takes centre stage in newscasts.”
Devirupa Mitra, special correspondent at the New Indian Express, said the Indian media has covered the trip in detail.
“Every foreign visit by PM gets wall-to-wall coverage in Indian channels,” Mitra said. “We are comparing the coverage to the PM’s visit to US, when there was a lot of criticism that the television media had gone overboard. But, I am hearing the same criticism now too.”
The bilateral relationship became strained in 2009, over attacks on Indian students in Australia. After a series of protests, the Australian government engaged in a public relations blitz to influence India’s opinion of the country, a strategy Haidar said worked well.
“Those days are very much behind us. We are in a good phase in our relationship,” Haidar said. “In fact, today Australia is more about Masterchef than about past violence.”
“I think the amount of visible attention given to Modi’s visit by the Australian government heartened a lot of Indians and helped to give the impression that they are taking India seriously as a Indo-Pacific power,” Mitra said.
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Modi mania took over Canberra, as the prime minister addressed a joint sitting of parliament and a packed public gallery on Tuesday morning.
A large number of Indian news outlets carried live coverage of the address – the first to the Australian parliament by an Indian prime minister.
“The visit has been received very well in India,” Mukesh Kaushik, special correspondent with United News of India said. He was one of just five journalists travelling with Modi. A number of photographers and camera operators were also part of the travelling press pack.
Suhasini Haidar, diplomatic and strategic affairs editor at the Hindu newspaper, told Guardian Australia that the new prime minister had been receiving saturation coverage since he took office in May.
“Anything he does is followed very closely,” she said. “His interaction with the diaspora community takes centre stage in newscasts.”
Devirupa Mitra, special correspondent at the New Indian Express, said the Indian media has covered the trip in detail.
“Every foreign visit by PM gets wall-to-wall coverage in Indian channels,” Mitra said. “We are comparing the coverage to the PM’s visit to US, when there was a lot of criticism that the television media had gone overboard. But, I am hearing the same criticism now too.”
The bilateral relationship became strained in 2009, over attacks on Indian students in Australia. After a series of protests, the Australian government engaged in a public relations blitz to influence India’s opinion of the country, a strategy Haidar said worked well.
“Those days are very much behind us. We are in a good phase in our relationship,” Haidar said. “In fact, today Australia is more about Masterchef than about past violence.”
“I think the amount of visible attention given to Modi’s visit by the Australian government heartened a lot of Indians and helped to give the impression that they are taking India seriously as a Indo-Pacific power,” Mitra said.
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