New Delhi: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar Wednesday hailed Indian diaspora for its contribution to global exchange of ideas, knowledge, innovation, culture and enterprise, describing it as a “living bridge” between India and the world.
Speaking at the launch of the website for 19th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) 2027 Convention at New Delhi’s Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, EAM Jaishankar said that Indian diaspora is an integral part of India’s present and an important stakeholder of country’s future.
The website was jointly launched by the External Affairs Minister and the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari. The 19th PBD Convention will be held in Kolkata, West Bengal, from January 7–9, next year in partnership with the Government of West Bengal.
“The Indian diaspora thereby serves as a living bridge between India and the world. It contributes to the global exchange of ideas, knowledge, innovation, culture, and enterprise. Now, the diaspora is not merely connected to India through its past; it is also an integral part of India’s present and an important stakeholder of India’s future,” said EAM Jaishankar at the event which was also attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
“It is with this spirit that we have chosen the theme, ‘From Roots to Return: Reigniting Diaspora Connect with Bharat’, for the 19th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. This theme reflects our endeavour to deepen the connection of overseas Indians with their civilisational, cultural, and ancestral roots. It seeks to create meaningful opportunities for the younger generation of the diaspora to rediscover their heritage, understand contemporary India, and build a stronger and more enduring connection with the land of their ancestors,” he added.
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EAM Jaishankar said that the role of Indian diaspora will contribute to India’s growth and development
“As India moves forward towards the vision which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid out of Viksit Bharat by 2047, the role of our diaspora will be increasingly important. The knowledge, expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and technology capabilities and also the global networks, they will all contribute to India’s growth and to India’s development. Equally, our progress at home, the expanding opportunities and the new avenues that they offer to the diaspora, we are confident we’ll help them to collaborate, to reconnect and to contribute more.”
The 19th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, he said, will be an opportunity to celebrate shared heritage and to renew a partnership for the future.
Kolkata, the host city for 19th PBD, holds a very special place in the history of India and in the history of the Indian diaspora, stated EAM Jaishankar.
“From here, many set sail for Mauritius, for Fiji, for the Caribbean, and they carried with them their languages, customs, and faith. Their journeys, often which were marked by sacrifice and hardship actually laid the foundations of a global Indian presence.”
