PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS
Non Resident Indians commonly known as NRIs are also a part of India and hence our government has to be concerned about their welfare too. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas or Non-resident Indian (NRI) Day was first celebrated in 2003 and is celebrated on the 9th of January every year in India in remembrance of the contributions made by NRIs to the development of our nation.
This is the day when the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in 1915. As we all know, he went on to become the greatest 'Pravasi' who led India's freedom struggle. One of the major objectives of this day is to put a focus on reconnecting the Indians living abroad with their roots. It is also a platform for the NRIs to put forth their thoughts and opinions about the development of the country. The day also specifically focuses on discussions with the Indian labourers living abroad and the difficulties that they are facing.
What the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas actually does?
Needless to say, the purpose of the PBD is to offer a proper platform for NRIs and Indian policymakers to connect and work out mutual business opportunities. However, the PBD goes much beyond that also. Here are a few add ons from the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.
-It enables India to showcase its diplomatic standing with countries with a large Diaspora population; especially nations like the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore, etc.
-Push across a specific theme around which an Indian narrative can be built. For example, in 2015 it was held in Gujarat to coincide with the 100th year of the arrival of the Mahatma. Similarly, in 2019 the PBD was synchronized with Kumbh Mela.
-The PBD is also spread into many more mini-PBDs as India has done in places like Africa, Mauritius, Canada, Singapore and New York.
-Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2020 comes at a time when the world economy is struggling to revive growth and India is no exception. This offers the best opportunity for India to collaborate with its Diaspora to bring about a larger Indian narrative.
Top NRIs who made India proud:
Narinder Singh Kapany:He was Born in Punjab, Kapany is revered for the contribution that he has made in the field of fiber optics. He was a part of a list named ‘Unsung Heroes’ that appeared in a Fortune Magazine issue titled ‘Businessmen of the Century’.
S. Chandrasekhar:S. Chandrasekhar was born in Lahore before partition. He won a Nobel Prize in 1983 for his mathematical theory of black holes. The Chandrasekhar Limit has been named in his honor. His most famous work is about energy radiated by stars.
Amartya Sen:Amartya Sen was born in Santiniketan, West Bengal. Apart from being a Nobel Laureate economist, Sen is a philosopher as well. He has made some exceptions-noteworthy contributions to the world of welfare economics.
Mira Nair:Mira Nair is one of the most instantly-recognizable filmmakers around the world. She was born in Rourkela, Odisha, and began her journey as an independent maker of short films. For her film India Cabaret, Nair won the Best Documentary prize at the American Film Festival.
Sundar Pichai:He is an Indian American business executive, the CEO of Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary Google.
Sunita Williams:Sunita Lyn Williams is an American astronaut and United States Navy officer who formerly held the records for most spacewalks by a woman and most spacewalk time for a woman.
Therefore, we can say that Pravasi Bharatiya Divas or NRI Day is celebrated to link up the Indian Diaspora to commemorate the achievements of the individuals of Indian origin in their respective fields and also persuade them to bring their knowledge and expertise to their motherland.
