Welcome 2014! Welcome India! It’s Homecoming time once again! Excitement kicks off in New Delhi on January 7 with the inauguration of the 12thPravashiBharatiya Divas event. It is indeed, time to celebrate, to rejoice and to get engaged.
In the good old days, people from around the globe flocked to India for both knowledge and wealth. The ancient Indian centres of learning – Universities of Takshashila and Nalanda and travelogues of numerous travelers from Greece, China and Middle East are testimonials of that rich bygone era. Always a safe haven for the world’s persecuted communities – including the Jews, the Persians, the Tibetans and, more recently, the refugees from Bangladesh, fact is that Indians have traveled across the globe sharing knowledge and trading its prime products. In fact, the entire world has been deeply influenced by India – in the knowledge sector, language, culture and so on. Almost everything known to mankind in the area of science, maths, medicine, metaphysics and astronomy came out of India, thus making it a land of bounty, with far-reaching impact.
Even well-known American historian Will Durant admitted: “India was the motherland of our race, and Sanskrit the mother of Europe’s languages: she was the mother of our philosophy; mother, through the Arabs, of much of our mathematics; mother, through the Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity; mother, through the village community, of self-government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all”.
Today, in over 100 countries, people of Indian origin are significantly contributing in all spheres of life, which also includes heads of several states. Millions of so-called ‘indentured laborers’ from India and their children have actually built various nations.
Unity in Diversity – that is the central theme of the Indian civilization. The reason is that globally, it is very unique and has never suppressed any voice. India has more than a dozen and half major languages and thousands of dialects. Each region and state of India has distinct characteristics, which are very hard to find anywhere in the world. Yet, the whole country is united in one idea – India, Bharat. To many, it is motherland, to others it is ‘punyabhoomi’ or sacred land where the Himalayas, the sacred rivers, the sacred pilgrimage places adorn the country and make every dust particle on the Indian soil – sacred. People of varied faiths, following myriad paths have been living together for centuries, along with the atheists. Science and spirituality have co-existed here for millennia by enriching our lives and our civilization, in every possible way.
India welcomes all – the PIOs, the NRIs. The people of India get a chance during the PBD to re-unite, to interact, to share and to create new bonds with others and India.
India is poised to become one of the top global powers with the largest number of young population; and reportedly, will soon be overtaking China in terms of maximum population inhabiting any country. India has many great things to share with the world today, yet it has its own share of challenges. In challenge, lie opportunities. Indian-origin people across the globe must explore these opportunities to make a difference.
PravashiBharatiya Divas is thus the best possible place to make this happen.
We wish you along with all our regular readers, well-wishers and patrons a very prosperous year 2014. Let us keep connecting, exploring and sharing. New Global Indian is your platform and we thank you for being part of this great mission.
