In the growth story and changed global perceptions of India, the Indian Diaspora, estimated at over 25 million (second largest in the world) with a diversified global presence across more than 200 countries, has played a significant role. While celebrating the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, we should review the contributions and perceptions about these Bharatvanshis.

Since the opening of the Indian market, there is a fashion of denigrating NRIs as Non Required Indians while expecting all sorts of investments and contributions from them. The primary focus of Pravasi Bharatiya Discourse has been on the neo-rich business class or the IT professionals who have moved to the US in search of a greener pasture. Though this class has made its own contribution by projecting the resurgent and skillful India abroad, we need to understand the real strengths of the people of Indian origin.

Is it a coincidence that among all American surveys Indians are regarded as the most tolerant, highly educated and most wealthy immigrant community? Is it an accident that in whole Southeast Asia, India is regarded as the spiritual capital and medical hub? Besides anti-Indian laws like Liyaqat, workers and nurses from India are regarded as the most hardworking in the Arab world. Yoga has become a huge industry and most of the countries in the world are regarding Yoga as the most scientific health practice. It is a matter of great pride that people from the Indian communities, in many countries like Fiji, Guyana and Mauritius, who were regarded as slaves 100 years ago, are occupying key government positions. In social and cultural activities, Indians abroad are force to reckon with, resultantly British and American heads are celebrating Deepavali and Holi in their official houses. It is not only because the Indians abroad have become powerful, but also because they are carrying the Indian way of life based on the Vedic Philosophy of Universal Brotherhood and Karma Capitalism. Bharatvasis should understand and take special efforts to recognise this spiritual cultural force of Bharatvanshis as it makes them the true ambassadors of India.              

Continuing with the wrong Adarsh

After facing the drowning defeat in the recent Assembly elections and trying to take a moral stand in passing of the Lokpal Bill, one was hoping that the Congress would have learnt a lesson in governance. By rejecting the report of a judicial commission on the Adarsh Housing Scam indicting four former Congress Chief Ministers, including the Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and many bureaucrats the party has shown that it is not moving from its ideals of indulging in huge scams and then carpeting it by rejecting the inquiry reports.

The anti-graft movement and victory of the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi has proved that corruption is an issue that is close to the heart of Indian masses. In the media drumming of formation of the first ever minority Government in Delhi, Congress-NCP alliance has silently rejected the report. This is not the first case where under the guise of inquiry commission Congress has tried to take benefit of the short public memory.  Since the little known Jeep Scam of 1962 to the ongoing inquiries in the 2G, Commonwealth Games scams, it has been practice of the various governments, especially led by Congress, to institute a commission when the problem is boiling and throw it in the garbage once the issue is subsided. This carpet conspiracy is more symptomatic in Maharashtra through  the Srikrishna Commission (Mumbai Riot Cases 1992), Sawant Committee (Enquiry on corruption on the complaints by Anna Hazare), and now  the JA Patil Commission (multi-crore Adarsh Housing Scam).

The Inquiry of Commission Act of 1952 is a continuation of the Disorders Inquiry Committee Act of the British regime under which the Hunter Commission (to Inquire Jallianwala Bagh massacre) was constituted. It was primarily meant to cover up Government misdeeds. Congress has been just continuing with that. While misusing the Government institutions for cornering the opponents, as evident in the Snooping Case against Narendra Modi, Congress is trying its best to hide behind the veil of inquiries. It has to understand that Indian voters are no longer in a mood to take this Adarsh way of governance.