By IANS,
Jaipur : Overseas Indians want the Indian government and public representatives of Indian origin in several different countries to play a more proactive role in resolving issues connected to them.
Talking to IANS on the sidelines of a session during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here, Kamal Singh, a real estate specialist from Vancouver, Canada said that in India systems have not improved to the desired level and overseas Indians still face many difficulties.
He said that in many countries racial discrimination still continues and the Indian external affairs ministry and Indian origin public representatives in these countries were not taking up issues with respective governments very seriously.
“I come from Canada where there are seven Members of Parliament belonging to the Indian community but they do not come out aggressively to help out Indians,” Singh said.
He said the recession, like in the world over, has hit the property market in Canada and their prices have come down by almost 15 percent.
“We want to come to India, but the government does not support us much. I wanted to provide help to the government on road safety, came out with a project which was completely free, but no one helped me. All they did was ask me why do I want to do it free. It is just pathetic,” Singh said.
Kamal Singh said, “whenever I come to India I face a problem at the time of departure. After stay in India for a few days, the authorities at Indian airports always ask me why did I stay in the country for so many days. There are lots of questions….it is my motherland and I should be allowed to stay here till the time I want.
“You feel a complete stranger in your own country. We should be treated properly,” said Singh.
Singh is living in Canada for the last 30 years. He feels that Pravasi Bharati Diwas should be organized in each country, that will really help overseas Indians.
Singh said though India has become an economic giant, in western countries India is still projected by as an economically poor country and overseas Indians should work hard to change this perception.