allAfrica.com: Mauritius: The Diaspora - An Economic, Social and Cultural Force (Page 1 of 1)

What has the 6th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) held from 7-9 Jan 2008, been all about ? To answer this question, one needs to go back to the First PBD held in 2003 to see the experience gathered along the way leading to a mature gathering of 1,500 delegates or Pravasis from 50 countries representing 25 million overseas Indians, this month.

The importance of the conference can be gauged by the presence of the President, the prime minister, cabinet ministers and chief ministers, as well as high officials and top businessmen of India along with the Mauritian Prime minister, Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, the chief guest, escorted by a large concourse of foreign dignitaries, academicians, professionals, politicians and lovers of India. But it was the charismatic Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi who stole the show, alongside the leader of the opposition, Shri L. K. Advani.

Previously, various meetings and conclaves had been convened in different countries throughout the year by GOPIO, in collaboration with the ministry of Overseas Indian affairs and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to thrash out the burning issues concerning the role of the diaspora as partners in the emergence of India as an emerging world power, capable of standing up for the rights of the Indian community in any part of the world. This has been the pledge given by Dr Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister.

The focus of the 2008 BPD is not on the quantum of FDI expected from the NRIs, says Union minister of Overseas affairs, Valayar Ravi. The stress has been placed on laying down the structure and institutions to strengthen the economic, social, cultural and philanthropic ties binding India and her children overseas.

This is reflected in a few measures announced by Dr Manmohan Singh, namely: the setting up of the Global Advisory Council of People of Indian Origin - to act like a global think-tank capitalizing on the best Indian brains. The objective of the Council is to "serve as a high level platform for the prime minister to draw upon the experience and knowledge of the best Indian minds wherever they may be based", said Manmohan. The intention is to draw upon the vast potential of academic, entrepreneurial, managerial, professional, scientific and technological resources within the Indian diaspora. This goes along with India's ambition to emerge as a knowledge hub, exporting professionals and high quality human resources to a world in need of brains and talents, pouring out from thousands of Indian colleges, universities and institutes of learning.

Another central and modern institution of learning likely to please the NRIs and PIOs parents and youth is the forthcoming foundation of the PIO University, with some focus on cultural heritage. Indian culture and entertainment - music, songs, dance, cinema, fashion, cuisine - are becoming global and attracting world applause. Union minister of Culture and Tourism, Ambika Soni, calls for technical expertise from the NRIs in modernising Indian museums and places of cultural heritage as well as academic and training centres for dance, drama and music through public-private partnership.

Voluntary contributions

No doubt one of the liveliest subjects of discussion at the GOPIO Convention 6 - 7 Jan, FICCI, previous to the conference itself was about the role of education and women empowerment. The shortcomings of the Indian colonial system of education ill-adapted to the competitive demands of a technological world were analysed and solutions proposed. This also ties in with the voluntary contributions of NRI to the setting up of modern schools and academic institutions in India and their other philanthropic activities in the transformation and modernization of Indian villages generally from their own native background.

This is why Meira Kumar, the minister of Social justice & Empowerment has made such a vigorous plea, both in the GOIPO Convention and the conference, in favour of women empowerment and educating the rural masses, particularly the girls who are generally vastly disadvantaged in India. It explains why Dr Singh has highlighted the outstanding roles played by distinguished NRI women including Indira Nooyi. Sunita Williams, Kalpana Chawla, Jhumpa Lahri.

The second institution announced by Manmohan Singh is the India Development Foundation to act like a non-profit trust to serve as a "credible institutional mechanism to direct overseas Indian philanthropic propensities into human development in the country". The aim is to direct overseas philanthropic funds into appropriate and productive human development channels. Obviously, the experience of former philanthropists has not always been flattering as funds allocated seemed to have been sucked by invisible bureaucratic expenditure with little results in return.

Another significant institution already in place is the Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC) backed by the Council for Overseas Employment Opportunities. The Indian government is engaged in securing its migrants by drafting bilateral MOUs with employing countries in the Gulf and in Europe. The idea is to provide security of employment and opportunities for our migrant workers as well as upgrading their technical and vocational training in order to raise their earning capability.

The PBD has encompassed various other sectors including partnership with Africa in which the Mauritian minister of Finance, Rama Sitnanen made a very convincing plea for Mauritius as a viable platform for development into Africa by demonstrating the Mauritian seriousness in matters of supplying a host of facilities within very short notice, a matter which has impressed the Indian listeners. Other sectors include the Americas, Europe, women empowerment.

Help needed in agriculture

In her valedictory speech, Pratibha Patil, the president of India, made a case for inclusive development to bridge the widening gap between the rising middle class and the poorer classes, including disadvantaged women, the SC and ST classes particularly at a time when India is leaping forward with giant stride with above 9% growth rate. She regrets the slow growth in agriculture without mentioning the actual decline in agrarian productivity and income and the on-going farmer suicide due to indebtedness. She calls upon NRIs to assist the farmers by helping with education, health, infrastructural facilities.

Finally, she conferred 15 Bharatiya Samman Awards to distinguished sons and daughters of the diaspora, including the Mauritian PM, Navin Ramgoolam, the widely acclaimed and highly successful political leader. Another distinguished recipient is the impressive Lord Karan Bilimoria, the founder-chairman of the highly successful Cobra Beer Ltd in UK, and who has addressed the plenary session and other business sessions in which he has expressed his optimism and tremendous passion for India where he sees those restrictive barriers falling one by one to take India towards more openness and prosperity.

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