PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS

MR. TARUN VIJAY, MADE SOME NOTABLE SUGGESTIONS, -
ESTABLISHMENT OF A PRAVASI BHARTIYA CHAIR TO DOCUMENT THE LEARNING’S
OF THE INDIAN DIASPORA IN THEIR STAY ABROAD
ENCOURAGE THE STUDY OF
INDIAN CIVILISATION THROUGH CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMMES ORGANISED BY
THE ICCR (INDIAN COUNCIL FOR CULTURAL RELATIONS) INSTITUTION OF AN
ANNUAL PRAVASI YOUTH AWARD THAT COULD BE GIVEN AWAY ON THE OCCASION OF
THE YOUTH ICON SWAMI VIVEKANAND’S BIRTH ANNIVERSARY ON JANUARY 12

On the first day of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, a special session
based on the theme Diaspora Youth and India, Blueprint for Engagement
was chaired by the dynamic and young parliamentarian, Mr. Jyotirditya
Scindia. This interactive session drew a lot of enthusiasm from the
Diaspora youths.
Mr Scindia identified Culture, Education and Health as the three focus
areas for development. He stressed on the need for two-way exchange
programmes, distance learning programmes and the need for initiating
world-class institutes in India. He was of the opinion that the
Diaspora youth could lend its support by volunteering their time and
effort to developing the health sector as India seeks to create a
market for health services and attract private investment in this
sector.

In a special address, Mr. Arun Shourie, Minister of
Disinvestments and Communications & Information Technology encouraged
the Diaspora youth to excel in their chosen field of interest and
profession, so as to keep India shining. He urged them to keep their
connections alive with India and work in partnership with this country
through a healthy transfer and exchange of best practices from across
the world in terms of laws, policies, procedures, technology and
practices.
The session was moderated by the vivacious Ruby Bhatia who summed up
saying that youth from both overseas and India need to dispel their
illusions and engage in cultural exchange programmes, build a
collective identity and consider setting up a Youth Diaspora body. She
mooted the suggestion of creating a virtual community with the
assistance of a youth specific portal.
Other prominent speakers in the session included Mr. Shiren Dewani,
Senior Associate, Reorganisation Services, Deloitte & Touche, UK; Ms.
S. Mitra Kalita, President, SAJA, USA; Mr. Parag Khanna, World
Economic Forum Global Governance Initiative, The Brookings
Institution, USA; Mr. Karan Manhas, MLA, Vancouver, Canada; Ravindren
C Ponniah, Student Malaysia; Mr. S. Arunachalam, Director, AR
International, Hong Kong; Mr. Anand Shah, Indicorps, USA and Mr. Tarun
Vijay, Editor, Panchjanya.
Each one of the speakers expressed their emotional attachment to their
Indian Origin and immense pride in their heritage. They felt that even
though they were now natives of other countries, they will be Indians
in their heart forever.
Mr. Tarun Vijay, Editor, Panchjanya made some notable suggestions, -
Establishment of a Pravasi Bhartiya Chair to document the learning’s
of the Indian Diaspora in their stay abroad
Encourage the study of
Indian civilisation through cultural exchange programmes organised by
the ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) Institution of an
annual Pravasi Youth award that could be given away on the occasion of
the youth icon Swami Vivekanand’s birth anniversary on January 12
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2004 is being jointly organised by the
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India and the
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) from
January 9-11, 2004. The three-day event was inaugurated by the Prime
Minister of India, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee and followed by the
presentation of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2004.
January 9 each year has been chosen as the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
both in India and abroad as it was on this date in 1915 that Mahatma
Gandhi finally returned to India after almost two decades in South
Africa. The recommendation of celebration of the Pravasi Bharatiya
Divas had been made to recognise the contribution of the Indian
Diaspora in the political, economic, social, academic and cultural
fields.