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The 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention in Indore, Madhya Pradesh was inaugurated on Monday, January 9, amidst much fanfare and celebration. Amidst rhythmic drum beats that got participants of all age groups dancing the convention started.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention 2023 in Indore on Monday. He was joined by Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the President of Guyana who was the Chief Guest of the event, and President Chan Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname and Chairman of CARICOM who was the Special Guest of Honour for the convention.
Though amidst all the fanfare and inaugural celebrations, there emerged a tone of dissent from among a section of the NRI participants who were unable to get into the hall where the event was being held. Owing to an overwhelming response from participants of the PBD, the event venue was overflowing with visitors even before the program could begin. When some of the NRI participants were stopped from entering the hall and asked to watch the event on the mega screens set up outside the venue.
Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, apologized to the participants later, when he spoke at the event in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Chouhan said: “We apologize for the inconvenience, but I can assure you that the hall may be small but our hearts are big. People of Indore have opened their hearts and homes for our Pravasi Bharatiya guests.”
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention is the flagship event of the Government of India that provides an important platform to engage and connect with overseas Indians and enable the diaspora to interact with each other. The 17th PBD Convention is being organized as a physical event after a gap of four years and the first after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The last PBD Convention in 2021 was held virtually during the Pandemic. The theme of this PBD convention is ‘Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit Kaal’. Over 3,500 diaspora members from nearly 70 different countries have registered for the mega event.
Modi along with Ali and Santokhi released a commemorative postal stamp ‘Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen’ to mark the occasion and also inaugurated the first-ever digital PBD Exhibition on the theme ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav – Contribution of Diaspora in Indian Freedom Struggle’.
During his inaugural speech, Modi called upon the participants to enjoy the famed snacks and cuisine of Indore where the event is being held. Modi said, “Indore city walks ahead of time while preserving its heritage.” He also mentioned the culinary fame of Indore and its achievement in the Swachata movement.
Modi said: “Indore is a city as well as an indelible experience. The city walks ahead of time while preserving its heritage. Our Pravasi Bharatiyas (Non-Resident Indians) have a significant place in India’s journey in the ‘Amrit Kaal’. India’s unique global vision and its role in the global order will be strengthened by the Pravasi Bharatiyas, they echo the voice of a powerful and capable India. You all are our ‘Rashtradoots’. Your role as India’s brand ambassador is diverse. You are brand ambassadors of Make in India, Yoga, Handicraft industry, and at the same time of India’s millets.”
During his address, Modi also suggested that there should be a sustained effort to document the lives, the struggle, and the contributions of Pravasi Bharatiyas for their respective countries through universities and research institutions.
“PBD 2023 is packed with opportunities to engage and connect with overseas Indians and celebrate their contribution to India’s growth story,” tweeted Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, India.
The PBD Convention will have five thematic Plenary sessions
- First Plenary on ‘Role of Diaspora Youth in Innovations and new Technologies’, chaired by Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur.
- Second Plenary on ‘Role of Indian Diaspora in promoting Indian Healthcare Eco-system in Amrit Kaal: Vision @2047’, chaired by Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, and co-chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs, Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh.
- Third Plenary on ‘Leveraging the soft power of India – Goodwill through craft, cuisine & creativity’, chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs, Meenakshi Lekhi.
- Fourth Plenary on ‘Enabling global mobility of Indian workforce – Role of Indian Diaspora’, chaired by Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan.
- Fifth Plenary on ‘Harnessing the potential of diaspora entrepreneurs towards an inclusive approach to nation building’, chaired by Minister of Finance, Nirmala Sitharaman.
- All the Plenary Sessions will feature panel discussions inviting eminent diaspora experts.