Why Is Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Celebrated?

More than 3,500 diaspora participants from around 70 nations have registered for the PBD Convention, where the government will also present certain participants with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award. The Central government celebrated the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD), also known as the day for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), on January 9 with activities in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

 

The Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which took place on January 8, marked the start of the programme. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give the opening keynote speech on Monday, the first day of the gathering. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, and S Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs, are also anticipated to address the audience. In connection with the event, Madhya Pradesh, which will hold elections later this year, is also being encouraged to promote tourism. 

 

In January 2002, a High-Level Committee on Indian Diaspora, led by lawyer and legislator LM Singhvi, suggested that the government to develop ties between Indians living abroad and their countries of origin as well as among themselves.

 

The committee advised that a Pravasi Bharatiya Bhavan be established as a hub for communication between India and its diaspora of Indians living abroad and as a venue to honor their contributions. This inspired the concept of a day to have the government recognize the community, which was conducted in 2003.

 

The date of ‘January 9’ was chosen since that was when Mahatma Gandhi arrived back in India from South Africa in 1915. Over the years, a number of politicians, including Prime Minister Modi and Congressman Rahul Gandhi, have frequently referred to him as the first non-resident Indian of the most well-known NRI. Since 2015—the 100th anniversary of Gandhi's return the meeting's format has changed to occur every two years. This will be the first in-person gathering since the outbreak. 

 

"Diaspora: Reliable partners for India's progress in Amrit Kaal" is the subject for this year. According to a news release from the PBD Convention, more than 3,500 people of the diaspora from close to 70 different countries have registered. President Chandrikapersad Santokhi of Suriname is the Special Guest of Honor, and President of Guyana Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali is the Chief Guest. The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman is awarded. As part of the programme, The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award is presented. It is the highest honor given to a Non-Resident Indian, Person of Indian Origin, organization, or institution that was founded and is governed by them, according to the official website. The goal of the award is to recognize the Indian diaspora's contributions to improving international understanding of India, advancing Indian causes, and promoting Indian community welfare.

 

The Ministry of External Affairs stated in a release that "a jury-cum-awards committee, with (the) Vice President as the chairman and External Affairs Minister as the vice-chair and other distinguished members from various walks of life considered the nominations and unanimously select the awardees." President Droupadi Murmu will present it to 27 recipients this year, who are based in nations including Australia, Ethiopia, Israel, Japan, and more. Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the event's chief guest and president of Guyana, will also receive an honor.

 

Dr. Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, an NRI living in the US who was deported from Delhi's IGI Airport on the night of October 23–24, 2021, is also listed among the recipients. He is recognized for organizing a langar for farmers who were protesting the three farm laws at the Delhi border. 

 

To emphasize the significance of safe, legal, orderly, and skilled migration, a commemorative postage stamp entitled "Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen" will be issued. The event will feature the first-ever digital exhibition with the topic "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav - Contribution of Diaspora in Indian Freedom Struggle." The Prime Minister will achieve this by opening a temporary museum in Indore.

 

There will also be five plenary sessions that are themed:

1.    Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Anurag Thakur presided over the opening plenary, which focused on the role of diaspora youth in innovations and new technologies. 

 

2.    Second Plenary on "Role of Indian Diaspora in Promoting Indian Healthcare Eco-system in Amrit Kaal: Vision @2047," co-chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh and Health & Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya.

 

3.    Meenakshi Lekhi, a minister of state for external affairs, served as the moderator for the third plenary, "Leveraging the soft power of India - Goodwill via craft, gastronomy & creativity." 

 

4.    Fifth Plenary on 'Harnessing the potential of diaspora entrepreneurs towards an inclusive approach to nation building', chaired by Minister of Finance, Nirmala Sitharaman. 

 

5.    Fourth Plenary on 'Enabling global mobility of Indian workforce - Role of Indian Diaspora', chaired by Minister of Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan.