Largest team for Indian diaspora conclave from US Indo-Asian News Service
New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) The largest delegation of 250 members will come from the US for this year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, India's annual conclave to reach out to its 25 million diaspora in 110 countries that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurate here Jan 7. A total of 1,185 delegates have registered for the three-day annual event organised by the ministry of overseas Indian affairs (MOIA) with the government of the National Capital Territory as the partner state. "A new generation of overseas Indians is taking over all across the globe and we want them to become a part of India's development process and share their rich experiences," Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi told reporters. "We on our part will get then to know their roots and, hopefully, arouse their Indian sentiment with this conclave," the minister said, giving an overview of the programmes and sessions planned for this year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. According to ministry officials, the second largest delegation is coming from Malaysia with 230 members. Leading it will be Samy Vellu, the country's works minister and president of the Malaysian Indian Congress. Malaysia, home to around 1.8 million people of Indian origin, had sent the largest delegation of 168 members to last year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Hyderabad. Vellu had led that delegation too.
From India alone, 180 delegates have registered for the fifth edition
of the conclave, being held in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Other countries from which strong delegations have registered are coming are Canada, South Africa, Holland and Singapore. From the Gulf, home to around five million Indians, a 78-member delegation has registered. A major highlight of this year's event, Ravi said, would be interactive sessions with senior ministers and top officials of eight states, including Delhi, Bihar, Haryana and Gujarat. "The chief ministers of these states have shown keen interest in interacting with overseas Indians hailing from their respective states," Ravi said. Another important session, he said, is the one on private international law. The panellists in this session will discuss problems faced on account of marriages involving overseas Indians. "We are also very close to signing the Hague Convention in this regard." The non-recognition of marriages performed in India often comes in the way of a harassed bride seeking legal redress abroad and the Hague Convention enables member-nations to recognise marriages held in another country. "When India signs the convention, its citizens abroad will get legal protection." There will also be separate region-wise sessions on the US, Gulf and South Africa among other countries to discuss the problems and aspirations of the Indian diaspora in those regions. CII's chief mentor Tarun Das said the key speakers from overseas include Balaji Sadasivan, Singapore's minister of state for foreign affairs, information communication and arts, Chicago-based Sam Pitroda, chairman of India's Knowledge Commission, G. Palanivel, Malaysia's deputy minister for women, family and community, and Karan Bilimoria, member of Britain's House of Lords and co-chairman of the Indo-British Partnership. This year, the chief guest for the event is Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore S. Jayakumar.
