Mritunjay Kumar reports on this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which focuses on Gulf NRIs who constitute the lion’s share of the 25-million-strong Indian diaspora, and account for the 27% of nearly $70 billion remittance that India receives annually
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on 9th January every year to mark the contribution of Overseas Indian community in India’s development of India. This year, the 11th PBD convention was held in Kochi, Kerala, to honour the contribution of Overseas Indian community in the nation’s development. Over 2,000 delegates from over 40 countries participated on the occasion. The conference had for the first time rightly focused on Gulf NRIs, who constitute the lion’s share of the 25-million-strong Indian diaspora, and account for the 27% of nearly $70 billion remittance that India receives annually.
PBD Conventions provide a platform for exchange of views and networking to overseas Indians on matters of common interest and concern to them. They also help the India government to better understand and appreciate the expectations of the overseas Indian community from the land of their ancestors and more importantly, acknowledge the important role played by them in India’s efforts to acquire its rightful place among nations.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2013 in Kochi. The Chief Guest and President of the Republic of Mauritius Rajkeswur Purryag; the Governor of Kerala H R Bhardwaj; Union Minister for External Affairs Salman Khursheed; the Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi; and, the Chief Minister, Kerala Oommen Chandy, were also present.
While formally inaugurating the mega event, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, “At a time of turbulence in many parts of the world, the safety and security of overseas Indian communities are uppermost in our minds. We derive comfort from the assurances that we have received from governments in the countries of your residence that they will do everything for your safety and security. We recognize that the primary responsibility rests with the host countries, but when needed, as was the case last year in Libya, our government will provide prompt and necessary assistance. Apart from physical safety, we are also concerned with the social and emotional well-being of our overseas brethren. We have therefore launched an insurance scheme for workers, established welfare funds in our embassies for distressed Indians, and created mechanisms to help vulnerable women abroad.”
“As the Indian expatriate community develops a larger global presence, they also become more vulnerable to economic crises, conflicts, civil unrest or just senseless hate crimes. At a time of turbulence in many parts of the world, the security and the safety of overseas Indian communities are uppermost in our minds,” he added.
Lauding the contributions of expatriates, the PM said the government would everything that is possible to deepen their connection with India and advance their interests. “While honouring their achievements, we will also seek to facilitate their travel, business, education and make it easier for them to be a part of life in India, enjoy due rights and participate in India’s economic development,” he said.
The President of Mauritius, Rajkeshwur Purryag, who was the chief guest at the inaugural session, said his country would lend all support to India’s claim for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.
The PM released a stamp to mark the 100th anniversary of Gadar Movement, the historic struggle of overseas Indians in California to support the freedom movement of India. Manmohan Singh also announced that the government has decided to upgrade the Gadar memorial at San Francisco to a functional museum.
Singh said that even though India’s annual GDP growth rate could end up at less than 6% this year, the country would bounce back soon. Strong fundamentals supported by sound policies would ensure growth, he claimed.
In addition, at the inauguration ceremony, the PM released a hand book for Overseas Indians to facilitate economic engagement and a commemorative postage stamp.
Valedictory session by President of India
President Pranab Mukherjee delivered the valedictory address at the 11th edition of the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas Convention. Addressing the gathering, he said that there is an important role that each one of them could play in India’s journey to becoming a strong, just and equitable society and taking its rightful place among the nations.
He stated that with the knowledge and experience they had gained as academics, scholars, scientists, technologists, professionals and businessmen, they could play a decisive role in the development of India. We are proud of your achievements and the invaluable service that you have rendered India, the nation of your roots, the President stated while addressing the gathering.
The President said he wished to see the Indian diaspora as a stronger partner, not only in India’s economic growth, but also in building India’s knowledge society, while continuing to engage culturally and emotionally, and serving as the effective ambassadors that they have been for this country.
The President said that non-resident Keralites have been important agents in Kerala’s promotion of sustainable development and socio-economic transformation. He said “the Indian diaspora has made our nation proud through the significant contributions that they have made to the development of the nations which they have chosen to make their homes. It is a matter of pride for every Indian that today there are at least five Heads of States or Heads of Governments and over 70 senior political leaders such as Deputy Heads of State, Speakers and Ministers in various countries who can trace their roots to India, he added.”
On the occasion, the President reminded that India is, today, a land of immense opportunities and they too can become partners in the progress of the nation.
Conferring Pravasi Samman Awards
President Mukherjee, during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2013 also conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards to 13 eminent overseas Indians from different walks of life and two overseas Indian societies.
The award is the Government of India’s highest civilian honor for non-resident Indians. Among the awardees were two prominent Indian Americans, Dr Narendra Kumar, President of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) and Mr. Subash Razdan, a distinguished engineer and a well known community leader from Atlanta. The other award winners include Rajkeswur Purryag, President of Mauritius, Australia India Society of Victoria from Australia, Prof. Dr. Gursharan Singh Chhatwal from Germany, Ashok Shambhomal Vaswani from Guinea, Indian Doctors Forum from Kuwait, Tan Sri Ravindran Menon from Malaysia, Dr Rasik Vihari Joshi from Mexico, Dr Satendra Kumar Singh from New Zealand, Gilbert Canabady Moutien from Reunion Island, Mohammed Rabeeh Karuvanthodi from Saudi Arabia, Ismail Ebrahim from South Africa, Bava Pandalingal from the UAE and Patricia Maria Rozario from the UK.
Mammootty steals the show
Indian cinema, music, dance and yoga are examples of India’s soft power that have had a major role to play in both bonding the Indian Diaspora and popularising the country abroad.
So when Mammootty, one of the superstars of the Malayalam film industry, took to the dais to talk about how India could use its soft power to its advantage, a sell-out crowd was a certainty.
The session
moderated by journalist K P Nayar and also attended by Overseas Indian Minister Vayalar Ravi, witnessed people willing to even sit on the floor to catch a glimpse of the actor.
So uncontrollable was the anxiety that it prompted Minister Ravi to remark, “Mammootty certainly needs a bigger hall. I am sorry you all do not have chairs. I am sure you all are here not because the topic is interesting or you find me interesting; you are here only for Mammootty.”
In his keynote address, Mammootty said, “I am an actor, not a speaker. And I have not prepared anything today. It is a big task to promote Indian films, as there are so many languages and cultures. Yet we are united as one. The other day, I was at a function of bankers and there I told them that in spite of so many languages and cultures, I am glad we still use one currency.”
“We are united not by language but by emotion. Tamil Nadu is united with Kerala by emotion. We are two states, but there are no borders between us. There is a feeling of India; there is a feeling of oneness.”
“Before Independence we were a union of countries of rajas, nawabs and various different states. Only after Independence did we become a republic of states. The United States has so many states, but all speak one language. Here in India we have so many languages, yet the feeling is that we are Indians.”
