President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said the Indian diaspora has become an “important and unique force” in global systems and is making stellar contributions to world affairs.
Murmu was speaking at the valedictory session of the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in Indore where she also conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards on 27 members of the diaspora to recognise their contributions to various fields in India and abroad.
“The Indian diaspora has grown into an energetic and confident community in every area, and is making stellar contributions to world affairs in leadership positions. They have exhibited extraordinary dedication and hard work, and have overcome many challenges to achieve excellence in all walks of life – including art, literature, politics, sports, business, academics, philanthropy, science and technology,” Murmu said.
She said the collective power and potential of Indians abroad was a force-multiplier in inclusive development. “The Pravasi Bhartiya Divas convention has served as a unique platform to enable fruitful engagement between the government, people of India and the diaspora. The samman awards symbolise the nation’s highest recognition of members of the diaspora for their contributions to India and in their home countries. These awards are significant as they not only show our appreciation and acknowledgment of the achievements of the pravasis, but also reflect our faith in their resolve to keep India’s flag flying high in the world,” the President said.
Speaking on the occasion, Union minister of civil aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia said, “NRIs have brought laurels to the country in the world. A son or daughter of India can never be separated from Indianness. The population of our India is not 135 crores, but 138 crores, of which 3 crores are our overseas Indians.”
Urging NRIs to become partners in India’s growth story, Scindia said, “Strengthen the Prime Minister’s resolve, stay connected with your native land and for our youth who are working outside the country, I have only one mantra, only one message: LER… Learn, Earn and Do Return. Because your destiny is right here with Bharat Mata, I am sure with your participation this century will belong to India.”
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India will leverage its strengths such as the knowledge economy, digital capability and demographic dividend to drive the country’s development and become a powerful engine of global growth.
Sitharaman acknowledged the diaspora’s immense contributions in promoting brand India and sought their active participation in Amrit Kaal, the 25-year road map to make India a developed nation.
She said while India’s knowledge sector is already paying a key role in the global economy, its digital capabilities have been acknowledged by the world. She was referring to India digital revolution in the fields of health, education, financial inclusion, payment solutions and conducting the world’s biggest Covid-19 vaccination drive through the CoWIN app.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “Three days of joy, enthusiasm, and celebration have passed. Yesterday, I went to the Padharo Mhare Ghar programme. The NRIs were very emotional. It felt like there were no longer guests and hosts, but two families joined together.”
