Pravasi Bharatiya Divas kicks off

he Indian-origin Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, will be the chief guest at the 10th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which kicked off in the pink city Saturday. President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and many Union ministers and chief ministers will address more than 1,500 delegates from 24 countries. The diaspora community will discuss the means and ways for how they can “contribute to the inclusive growth of the country” during the three-day annual event in Jaipur. This year’s conference will also deliberate on the ways to engage the young diaspora community in the country’s growth and also creating awareness among them about the rich and diverse culture of India. The event in the previous years had created a platform for the government to inform the diaspora community about its new initiatives for them and the investment opportunities in the country. The diaspora community would get a chance to raise their problems before the government. Union minister of overseas Indian affairs Vayalar Ravi said that the annual event organised by his ministry was crucial for the government to take action on NRIs’ voting rights and providing life-long visas for the persons of Indian origins (PIOs). He expressed his hope that many new initiatives would emerge after the Jaipur PBD. Connecting NRIs and PIOs with the panchayati raj would get priority among the new initiatives of his ministry, Mr Ravi said. “NRIs and PIOs will be naturally close to their villages. The government will encourage them to adopt a school or a hospital in their villages,” Mr Ravi said. Mr Ravi, however, said seeking investment was not his ministry’s job. The chief ministers who are going to address the delegates can invite investment in their respective states, he said. More than 10 chief ministers, including Gujarat’s Narendra Modi and Kerala’s Oommen Chandy, will be present at the event. President Patil will confer awards on NRIs and PIOs who have excelled in various fields during the closing ceremony of the event on Monday.