As curtains drew in New Delhi'sVigyan Bhawan, dressed up for the annual Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas on January 8-9, 2008, the question that came in the mind of many was: ?Has this become another junket?? When it was first launched with fanfare under the NDA in January 2002, there was palpable enthusiasm all around. For the NRIs and the PIOs (People of Indian Origin) it was an occasion to be home they were proud of and wanted to connect with and for the hosts it was an occasion to witness with satisfaction the diaspora, even generations later, loving and cherishing the ancient bond.
Under the UPA, however, the event has lost much of its sheen and meaning, like most of the government initiatives. That it acted with callous indifference to the problems and plight of PIOs across the globe?Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Kenya?strained the atmosphere. Of all the chief ministers, only Delhi'sSheila Dikshit and Gujarat'sNarendra Modi attended almost all the sessions, making the most of the opportunity. The others largely only marked their presence.
The government turned deaf to the pleas of help when the Indians in Malaysia were being
attacked, arrested, charged and punished for crimes not done by them. The centre even refused audience to an ethnic Indian representative from Malaysia. When reports of work permit termination to Indians came, the ministries of External Affairs and NRI said they had no knowledge of it. The final blow came when the Indian government announced last week improving defence ties with Malaysia, to train their personnel to combat ?terrorism.? This announcement was at the conclusion of a visit by India'sDefence Minister A.K. Antony to Kuala Lumpur.
There was not a word on the Malaysian government'sinhuman handling of a sensitive ethnic problem. Malaysian government has razed dozens of decades-old temples, curtailed the worship places, banned the entry of Hindu priests
into the country for temple rituals?all amounting to violation of International Human Rights. Under normal political diplomacy, the Indian government would have extracted some assurance on this count before or during the minister'svisit. Contrast this with the reaction of the Prime Minister who ?lost his sleep? over the arrest of an Indian (Muslim) doctor in Australia in a terror suspect case. One is forced to ask if NRIs and PIOs are also seen through the communal prism, as has become the policy of the UPA.
In Sri Lanka, caught between the LTTE
and the government, millions of Tamils are suffering, unacknowledged. Left to fend for themselves, they have no option but to take refuge under the LTTE. The devil at least will not drown them.
In Kenya too, when the rioters were looting and driving Indians out of their homes, the government took the view that ?technically? they were not Indian citizens and the government could not intervene. At best it could provide safe passage, it said.
If this logic is correct, then there is no basis for holding Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and owning up all people of Indian origin as ethnic Indians.
No other country celebrates its Diaspora as the Indian does. For, Indians have migrated to every nation in the world, lived there for generations and yet, have always considered India their ?home.? The gypsies illustrate this the best. Centuries after they had migrated in waves to various parts of the world, generations since they visited India, gypsies are considered Indians and they themselves look upon it as ?home.?
The government wants the NRIs and PIOs to invest in India not only in business but also in social sector, which is the primary responsibility of the government. This year round the government has gone a little cold on inviting business proposals as the inflow of NRI money would hurt the economic situation. The Indian exporters are suffering because of the weak dollar and the pumping in of dollars would upset the Forex position, they say. So the government only wants a one-way traffic of money, from abroad into rural India, naturally via the government.
However, in return, the UPA is not willing to be bothered about the existential problems of Indians abroad. Whether the working condition of Indians in West Asia, the racist attacks in various countries or the support they seek from Indian government in maintaining their cultural and religious ties. Indians were 52 per cent of the population in Fiji when Rambooka ran a coup and came to power on ethnic Fijians platform in 1989. In less than 20 years, the population of ethnic Indians has been reduced to 37 per cent.
Under the UPA, India has lost its image as a regional leader and a potential world power, given its human resource, booming economy and democracy. This is reflected in the way Indians are being treated abroad, in country after country, because there is no one to speak up for the Indians. Our neighbours are being manipulated by the bigger and more powerful bullies. One does not have to look far to know who is instigating Malaysia. A few years ago, when there was a coup in Maldives, its president turned to India for help. Today, in such a situation that is unlikely to happen. Because India is increasingly being seen in diplomatic and political circles as a soft state.
The point is, what is the objective of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas? The government, which spends crores of taxpayers? money on this jumboree, should listen to the delegates. Ask them what they want. A talk with a cross section of them reveals that they want less of talk from the podium and more across the table, better still, around it. They are not here for free meals. They come to be part of the great emerging India dream. They are also looking for re-establishing snapped cultural links. They hope to find a part of them here. To this end the government should work, offering a mixture of delicious Indian delicacies, culture, business and religious tourism. Not just a rendezvous for fixing deals. When they leave they should want to come back, with a smile, because India beckons.
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