By Gurmukh Singh, AISN,
Toronto: India Friday promised to remove irritants hindering the engagement of its 27 million-strong global diaspora with their parent country.
But it also recommended three Ps – purpose, perseverance and patience – on the part of the diaspora to deepen their engagement with their ancestral land.
Terming the fifth mini Pravasi Bharatiya Divas which concluded here Friday a huge success, Preneet Kaur, minister of state for external affairs, said India was always looking to its diaspora to promote its commercial and cultural ties with the world.
She said India offered huge opportunities for infrastructure, defence and various other fields and the diaspora could promote two-way investments between India and their adopted lands.
The minister said the PBDs highlighted India’s commitment to engagements with its vast diaspora.
Didar Singh, secretary in the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, said he was impressed by the views expressed at the two-day gathering. These will be incorporated in policies concerning NRIs, he said.
“It’s the best PBD we ever had. These have been two days of exceptional talks, and there have been exceptional contributions (from delegates and speakers).”
Singh said there will be a formal report on the Toronto Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and the government will take action on its recommendations.
“The message from the PBD is clear the diaspora has an important role in India’s engagement with other countries. Two days have generated many new ideas for India,” he said.
Both Preneet Kaur and Didar Singh assured the diaspora that the Indian government will address their concerns, including those related property and investment and fraud marriages.
Singh said though the diaspora now realizes the potential economic benefits from engagement with rising economies like India and China, they will have to show patience. “These (India and China) difficult markets to enter. You need 3Ps – purpose, perseverance and patience – to enter them,” he said.
He invited the NRI community in North America to join the next PBD in Jaipur from Jan 7-9.
Many expert sessions were held to highlight opportunities India offered to its diaspora.
Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at [email protected])