Leading lights from the diaspora show paths to further
progress
>From Eugene Correia
MUMBAI: While European Parliament MP, Nina Gill,
thought people of Indian origin have “spiced up the
world”, UN Under-Secretary, Shashi Tharoor, felt that
the term NRI meant “Never Relinquished India” and
telecommunications entrepreneur, Sam Pitroda, opined
that “corporate successes” is a given but a
“generation change” is needed in the social sector.
They were taking part in the plenary session of New
Initiatives for the Diasora which was chaired by Lord
Navnit Dhalakia, with other diaspora panelists, Dato
Seri S. Samy Vellu, Malaysia’s Minister of Works, A.R.
Bundhun, Vice-President, Mauritius, Dr. Basdeo Pandey,
Leader of the Opposition, Trnidad and Tobago, Dr P.
Mohamed Ali, MD, Galfar Engineering & Contracting,
Sultanate of Oman, and Vijay Amritraj, President,
First Serve Entertainment, USA.
To show the extent to what level the influence of
Indian diaspora has penetrated into the workplace in
the world, Shashi Tharoor remarked that British curry
houses employ more workers than in the iron, steel,
coal, shipping and mining industries combined.
It’s one example of how the Empire can strike back, he
quipped, drawing a big laugh from the crowd.
He said that events like the PBD were necessary for
Indians to voice their concerns and share their
values. “Sometimes the value of a conference lies in
conferring,” he added.
Tharoor said that overseas Indians have contributed
richly in diverse fields both in India and where they
live and that they should be accorded the right to
vote.
Providing the example of Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) as a “brand name” recognized as much
as “MIT”, the UN official said India is no longer
known as a land of “begging bowls and snake-charmers”.
He remarked that for far too long it was believed that
the only country Indians cannot succeed is in India
He began his address saying light-heartedly but
carrying a thought-provoking commentary on India’s
secularism that where can one see a Muslim President
appointing a Sikh Prime Minister made room for him by
a Roman Catholic politician..
Nina Gill urged the overseas Indian youth to get
involved in politics and gave brief details of her own
rise in politics. “There a few and far in between in
politics,” she added.
She said she refused to be taken as a second-class
citizen because of her race. “I was articulate and I
set up an organization to fight back.
Indian families encouraged their children to excel in
the professions and, therefore, very few of these
overseas Indian youth take up public office, she
remarked.
Sam Pitroda said he was ridiculed as one of the
“computer boys” when he tried to usher in the
communications revolution, but the state of the
country has shown his vision has succeeded.
He, however, warned that the technology success
shouldn’t make India sit back and relax but work
harder to provide similar success in the social
sector. Besides the economic reforms, there must be
judicial, administrative and political reforms, he
demanded.
He called upon the government to build at least ten
large cities in fresh urban setting, while
recommending a 10-point program to elevate poverty and
improve growth.
======================
Citizenship for all overseas Indians
>From Eugene Correia
MUMBAI: The overseas delegates to the third Pravasi
Bharatiya Divas burst into a thunderous applause when
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared the
government’s decision to extend dual citizenship to
people of Indian origin living in all countries.
As the applause from more than 2,500 delegates and
invitees to the opening ceremony at the S.N. Kohli
ground in Navynagar, South Mumbai, died down, Singh
added a condition to the qualification, saying that
only those who migrated after Jan. 26, 1950 would be
eligible and if only their host countries allowed.
The dual nationality was first offered to overseas
Indians in eight countries, including US and Canada,
and then eight more countries were added.
The immediate reaction to this clause was not seen in
the packed audience, but during the following two days
of the event, many overseas Indians were not sure how
it would work out.
The PM asked the government and the bureaucracy be
forgiven because “little has happened to implement
this declaration of intent” since the dual citizenship
was announced at last year’s meet.
“I do hope that a day will come when every single
overseas Indian who wishes to secure Indian
citizenship will actually be able to do so,” he said
enthusiastically.
He asked for more time and called for patience from
overseas Indians till the government creates a
user-friendly form instead of the three-layered one.
Singh said that the government may consider using
“smart card” for security reasons, and that he has
requested concerned ministries to “spell out the
benefits of registering overseas citizenship.”
Despite the differences in religion, cuisine and
costume, there is a “unifying idea” of “Indian-ness”
that “binds us all together.” He further emphasized,
that our “deeply emotional roots” and the process of
liberalization and modernization of Indian economy has
created an opportunity for the overseas Indians to
again “relate in a meaning ful way to their
motherland.”
The PM said successive governments have made it
possible for overseas Indians to invest at home and to
travel freely to and from India. By opening the skies
in the peak season for Indian private airlines and
with efforts to modernize 30 airports across India,
the government wants to reduce the troubles faced by
overseas Indians wanting to travel to India, he added.
He said he was “impressed by the optimism that
characterizes the overseas Indian. It is also for this
reason that you continue to look back at India with
love, affection and longing, though with an
understandable degree of impatience without any
bureaucratic procedures.”
Calling upon overseas Indians to contribute through
“inspiration of your example and through investment in
our future”, he also asked them to have faith in
India.
The PM appealed to overseas Indians to invest in India
as the country needs $150 billion over the next ten
years for infrasture development
He invited overseas Indians to support education in
India, particularly at the primary level, and also to
extend their help to NGOs working in villages.
Singh assured that with good economic and social
reconstruction of India, he would make the overseas
Indians feel proud. He declared that the 21st century
will be India’s century.
Earlier, the Vice-President of Suriname, Jules
Rattankumar Ajodhia, the chief guest, provided the
links between his country and India and how people of
Indian origin there have contributed in enhancing the
social, economic and political fabric of the former
Dutch colony.
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