Government does its bit, reciprocity must come
Ever since the Modi Government came to power, there has been a remarkable shift in how the regime views the Indian diaspora, both non-resident Indians and those Indians who have gained citizenship of the countries they live and work in. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's addresses to huge gatherings of Indians/Indian-origin citizens during his visits to the US and the UK, in particular, were indicative of the new emphasis the Union Government was placing on the ability of the Indian diaspora to project and promote a robust image of this country abroad. In earlier years, the diaspora was largely neglected as being of not much consequence to the state of affairs back in India. There were also Governments at the Centre during whose tenures Indians settled abroad were looked upon as ‘betrayers' who had left their country of origin for greener pastures abroad. Things have changed considerably, with the Indian diaspora, especially the non-resident, not only getting more connected to India but also contributing its bit to India’s economic development. It is, therefore, not surprising that Prime Minister Modi, during his speech at the recently concluded 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held in Bangalore, emphasised on FDI being both foreign direct investment (FDI) and ‘first development of India'. His appeal to the non-resident Indian community could not have been more unambiguous: ‘Put your money where your mouth is.’ While foreign direct investment has grown significantly over the last two years or so, there is still much that the well-off non-resident Indians can do in investing in their country of origin. Given that the Prime Minister has repeatedly conveyed to them a sense of belonging and has been addressing (in active collaboration with a proactive Ministry of External Affairs) their concerns regarding visas etc, the community is all charged up to do its bit for India. Interestingly, the Prime Minister also used the occasion to hardsell the big-bang demonetisation decision taken a couple of months ago, to the non-resident Indians. He also took the opportunity to slam his opponents, who, he said, were “political worshippers” of black money. When a section of the foreign media is engaged in demonising demonetisation, non-resident Indians can play a crucial role in diluting the criticism in whichever country they are based in.
However, it would be parochial to consider non-resident Indians’ worth in purely economic terms — useful to exploit for investments. The community's connect with Indian culture and civilisation has been grossly underestimated. Perhaps because the non-resident Indians were viewed all these years less than favourably, it's possible that they too had become cold to their traditional linkages; all that has changed with Modi's prime ministership. By reminding them that they are India's brand ambassadors abroad, he has invested in them enormous trust, which the non-resident Indians cannot but work to uphold. From being ‘betrayers' to ‘brand ambassadors', is a significant change. Indian-origin individuals have also begun to play important roles in the political system of countries in the West, such as the US and the UK. It makes sense for the Indian Government to acknowledge, celebrate and encourage these achievers.