Business, pleasure and nostalgia in global Indian family meet By Deepshikha Ghosh, Indo-Asian News Service
New Delhi, Sep 1 (IANS) Thousands of non-resident Indians (NRIs) from the world over will return to their roots in the first ever gathering of the global Indian family here January 9-11, 2003. On the agenda will be a bit of business, a bit of pleasure - and large doses of nostalgia. Among those who have confirmed their presence at the event are Nobel laureates V.S. Naipaul and Amartya Sen, arguably India's most famous sons abroad. Britain-based industrialist Lord Swraj Paul and Labour MP Keith Vaz will rub shoulders with a galaxy of business leaders, innovators, doctors, lawyers, scientists, social scientists, film personalities, writers and others of Indian origin. The meet will witness the launch of the "Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards", which honour members of the diaspora who have done their mother country proud. It will be the most prestigious award India confers upon its expatriates. President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is expected to give away awards to 10 people who will be selected on the basis of recommendations from Indian missions abroad. The event, to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, may see a minuscule fraction of the estimated 20-million-strong Indian diaspora the world over, but the organisers say it is a start. January 9, christened the "Pravasi Bharatiya Divas" (Indian Expatriates Day), holds special significance in India's history. On this day in 1915, Mahatma Gandhi returned to India after a two-decade stay in South Africa and plunged into the freedom movement. "It is the most important event for India as well as Indians abroad," J.C. Sharma, member-secretary of the Indian Expatriates Day organising committee and secretary in the ministry of external affairs, told IANS. Sharma was a member of the High Level Committee on Indian Diaspora headed by former high commissioner to Britain L.M. Singhvi that had suggested ways to build a bridge between India and persons of Indian origin (PIOs) abroad. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas initiative followed recommendations of the panel, many of which were approved by the government early this year. The most important recommendation of the committee - that of permitting dual citizenship to enable PIOs hold Indian passports - is yet to be accepted. It is still being studied by the ministries of home affairs and law. Dual citizenship has been long coveted by the Indian diaspora and is likely to be the talk of the conference to be held in the sprawling Pragati Maidan fairgrounds in the heart of New Delhi. But the event is not all about what the country can do for PIOs - it is also about what they can do for their country, which is in dire need of investments and development projects, said Sharma. Sharma said the main focus of the event would be to engage with the diaspora to understand their sentiments about India and their expectations from India and to evolve a policy facilitating a better interaction between India and PIOs in other countries. Among the subjects to be discussed in various sessions are IT, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, hospitality and tourism and media, grouped under the title "Global matrix and Indian diaspora". Apart from the prime minister, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, Finance Minister Jaswant Singh and other ministers will interact with the participants. Prominent opposition leaders such as Congress party president Sonia Gandhi are also likely to participate. The event also seeks to provide an opportunity for global Indians to network and build relationships criss-crossing 110 countries. The highlight of the social segment of the event would be cultural entertainment and a meeting with Hindi film stars, whose immense popularity transcends borders. It will be a season for nostalgia, with film stars spanning three generations from Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar to today's heartthrobs such as Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan. For want of confirmation, the organisers are keeping the list for "Bollywood evenings" under wraps for now. And, to serve as a reminder that India's traditions, culture and music is alive in some form even thousands of miles away, cultural troops will come from Britain, the Caribbean, Africa and Southeast Asia. Those who cannot make it need not fret. The evenings will be telecast live in some 20 countries, the organisers say. --Indo-Asian News Service =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!
