Then got to know about the registration link on the website namoinsingapore.org and quickly registered. I also got our Facebook forum registered under organization registration to facilitate our members to register via it. During registration, what caught my attention was the checkbox “Do you want to volunteer for the event”. I have been doing volunteering for other initiatives for quite some time, so this checkbox automatically got ticked by me.
In the second half of October…came the email to join the very first meeting of volunteers involved in the event. It was held at GIIS Queenstown campus. Hundreds were gathered to contribute their bit to the prestigious “Namo in Singapore” event.
Sub-committees like IT and Digital, Transport, Event co-ordination, Registration and many more were formed. It was amazing to see that no professional event management company was involved and it was decided that volunteers will carry out the whole event this big with their collective efforts. The main co-coordinators were Singapore NRI Forum.
Regular meetings between sub-committees started happening to decide the future course of action and things started getting hotter and hotter. Ticketing and network setup, social media coverage, registrations and entry pass processing, auditions for performances, security and safety measures, fund raising, souvenir design, transportation…myriad amount of tasks to be done with the event happening on 24th November!
As a volunteer, I was fortunate to experience the camaraderie of diverse set of people coming together…Working professionals, homemakers, Retired elderly, Businessmen, Different Indian associations in Singapore – all were working in tandem to achieve the common objective of giving grand community reception to India’s PM.
When the actual event day started approaching near, meetings became more intense. Last minute issues, arguments and patch ups, procedures and technicalities to complete…
Last 2-3 days just before the event, many of the volunteers got themselves stationed at the venue itself. Everyone was running around, performers were focusing on grand rehearsals, registration team was resolving entry pass related matters, security team was ensuring no loopholes in the arrangement. Such a colorful chaos, such a fun that can only be seen in Grand Indian ceremonies!
On 24th November, all volunteers were present before 1 PM at Expo. Everyone was putting in their 100% to make this event the bestest of the best! People started gathering from 2:30 PM onwards since the seats were on the first-come-first-serve basis. There were separate entrance for VIPs and VVIPs. Our IT team was working so superbly…they did a very good job of scanning thousands of tickets and facilitating smooth entry in the hall for people. This too with big smiles on their faces. Kudos! Other committees were equally busy too.
Awesome performances enthralled the audience of around 18K.
The moment for which thousands of people have gathered finally came!! The atmosphere was electrifying, chants of “Modi, Modi” were filling the auditorium, people were waiting…and Namo arrived.
He straightaway took the stage and shared his vision for better and bigger India and the world. He also emphasized how we can learn a lot from Singapore. His speech lasted for more than an hour. After the speech, he left the venue.
Mesmerized audience also started leaving. Volunteers were back to their duties.
One grand event was over after making a lasting impression!
Some photos of volunteers are uploaded on our page Singapore Desi. Find them here –
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.434905883369179.1073741830.282993715227064&type=1&l=1f9a2a9693
Other links for people who couldn’t attend the event –
https://www.facebook.com/namoinsingapore/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xmO1Yj46E4
Shubhada B.
for RainbowDiaries
I enjoy attending events and also being a part of the process. Glad to read you did same plus a blessing of meeting the PM came attached to it. Hope u will use all that you learnt in this event for future developments. Keep shinning, Bhide.
Whoa Shubha this is awesome.. You got to be a part to volunteer in such a prestigious event… Wow!!! Its equally awesome that the event was organized without an event management team…
Great to know that you got a chance to meet your PM who came to visit Singapore. Nice feeling isn’t it? Do you miss your home country?
great event.. i hope i get to join something like this sometime 🙂
oh wow. insightful and great that he shared his vision. its always interesting to hear other peoples visions
I love attending events that will greatly impact the way I see and live life. You were very lucky to be part of the events team!
What a wonderful event to be a part of! I can tell it meant a lot for you to see and help out with something that would bring your PM to the people. Great job!
Wow that was a real big event and an inspiring one. Hopefully there will be more such event like this.
This is a huge talk to be a part of. He must be inspiring and also charismatic to talk about the role of India in the growing world.
Wow, from your article, the event sound really majestic and you sound really inspired by namo. Impressed.
If I were in your place, I would volunteer, too! I also love to volunteer. When I lived in Indonesia, I attended most gatherings of the Filipino community, especially when an important Filipino leader visits the country.
It’s heartwarming to see people from all walks of life coming together for an event like this. It is rare for politicians to receive such support especially from a different country. That is truly inspiring.
Whoa, there are too many audiences and I think they got what they came for. Namo’s speech must be meaningful indeed. If I were you, I would also have volunteered for the event.
Sure sounded like a great event. Sounds very empowering. Thank you for sharing this. Must have been awesome to be there firsthand.
It is heartening to read about a well-loved political leader being welcomed by diaspora in another country. It is also heartening to read about loyalty to homeland even when abroad.
Great work by all volumnteers. Really commendable.
I was wondering where to post my appreciation towards the way this event has been conducted and I got this blog post. This is the first event I ever witnessed with such a meticulous execution. Especially I would like to thank all the volunteers who has done a great job. I wish I could be part of the event as a volunteer. Our Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi I saw him for the first time, exited listening to him live and no doubt he has a great oratory skills. Explained things as simple as peeling the banana. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to attend this event will never forget this. Thanks a lot again for the organisers. Bhaskar