The Indian diaspora is not merely connected to India through its past, but it is also an integral part of the country’s present and an important stakeholder of its future, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said on Wednesday.
In his address at the launch of the website of the 19th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) to be hosted from January 7-9 in Kolkata, he said the main convention will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while the valedictory session will be graced by President Droupadi Murmu, during which the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman will also be conferred.
Jaishankar also said that the Indian diaspora serves as a “living bridge” between India and the world. The West Bengal government will co-host the event. The website was jointly launched by Jaishankar and state’s Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari, at a function. The external affairs minister said Kolkata as a city, is steeped in history, both in the evolution of the country as well as in the spread of the diaspora across the world. “From here, many set sail for Mauritius and Fiji, and the Caribbean, and carried with them their languages, customs and faiths,” he said. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi to India from South Africa on January 9 in 1915. Praising the diaspora, Jaishankar said, “The journey of the Indian diaspora is really a remarkable story of courage, of enterprise, of resilience, of achievement.”
“From the early generation of Indians who travelled across continents in search of opportunities to the present generation of entrepreneurs, academics, professionals, innovators, and community leaders, this diaspora has made an invaluable contribution to societies and countries they may call home, while maintaining enduring connection with Bharat,” he said. The Indian diaspora, thereby, serves as a “living bridge” between India and the world, he added. “The Indian diaspora is not merely connected to India through its past. It is also an integral part of India’s present and an important stakeholder of India’s future,” he asserted.
In his address, Jaishankar also underlined that India’s economic growth, development efforts and cultural effervescence are today “global talking points” and there is a “great interest in India”. It is with this spirit that the theme — ‘Return to Roots: Reigniting the Diaspora Connect with Bharat’ 3 of the 19th PBD has been chosen, and it reflects India’s efforts to deepen the connection of overseas Indians with their “civilisational, cultural and ancestral roots”, he said.
The PBD also seeks to create meaningful opportunities for the younger generations of the diaspora to rediscover their heritage, understand contemporary India, and build a stronger and more enduring connection with the land of their ancestors, Jaishankar said. “As India moves forward towards the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, the role of our diaspora will be increasingly important, their knowledge, expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and technology capabilities, and also global networks, they will contribute to India’s growth and development,” he added.
The external affairs minister said as part of the 19th PBD celebrations, a gamified app called Bharatverse has been created, and “we hope this will help bring India closer to them in a very contemporary way”.