The 15th annual Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) kicked off Monday in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh amidst a host of dignitaries and non-resident Indians.
During the course of the three-day event, NRIs will be felicitated for their achievements across the world and crucial matters concerning their experience, opportunities rights abroad will be addressed.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other Union Ministers like Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and V.K. Singh were in attendance on day. Together they marked the Youth Pravasi Bhartiya Divas to focus on the next generation of NRIs, especially from Uttar Pradesh.
Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth has accepted the invitation to grace the NRI conclave as its chief guest on Tuesday. He is reported to have arrived in New Delhi the day before, to hold bilateral talks over a nine-day visit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Jugnauth is expected to formally inaugurate the event on January 22.
India-origin lawmakers; Himanshu Gulati of Norway and Kanwaljit Bakshi from New Zealand will be the guests of at the inaugural ceremony.
All you need to know about the ongoing event
Usually celebrated on or around 9th January, the grand scale of arrangements that went behind this year’s celebrations pushed the event to January 21-23. NRI delegations from all over the world were seen gearing up for the event for weeks.
Over 5,000 NRIs from as many as 193 countries have reportedly registered for the event this year. 30 of them will be felicitated with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award at the valedictory ceremony on January 23. They will be addressed by President Ram Nath Kovind.
The theme for PBD 2019 is the “Role of Indian Diaspora in building New India”.
History of the event
The first chapter of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was held in 2003 to the contributions of NRIs in academic and professional fields across the world.
Each year, the Indian government invites NRIs with significant achievements in their respective fields thereby making India proud on the global stage. The President felicitates them with awards, while the rest of the event is dedicated to giving NRIs a forum to discuss and deliberate on migration-related matters.
The reason 9th January is usually set aside for celebrating Pravasi Bhartiya Divas is that Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa on this day in 1915. Having fought in the apartheid movement in the African continent and after a successful legal career, the father of the nation who then went on to become one of the most important leaders in the Indian freedom is often regarded as the most famous NRI.
Why it matters
Guest speakers express their views and carry out constructive discussions about how they can play a bigger role in the development of the nation. The event also aims to create a global network of diasporic and foster a much-needed relationship between the Indian youth and high achieving NRIs.
At a time when the scope of working visas is under attack, the NRI conclave hopes to address such problems faced by migrant workers abroad and make active efforts to dispel them through diplomatic intervention. In addition, acknowledging their contributions also serve to bind non-resident nationals to their roots and infuse in them a greater sense of responsibility to their country of origin.
Over the next three days, Varanasi will set the stage for innumerable interactive sessions and seminars led by experts and luminaries in their fields, besides cultural programmes and NRI visits to renowned places of interest in Kashi, Sarnath and Ganga Ghats among others.
Prarthana Mitra is a staff writer at Qrius