Diaspora Demands

The second Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will soon be starting on January 9, 2004 at the Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. The three-day (January 9-11, 2004) event will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. After the First Pravasi Bharatiya Divas a great deal of expectations from the Indian Diaspora was generated. India having taken its role and its responsibility of the ancestral homeland of people of Indian origin globally must now rise to the challenge it has assumed. The celebration of the First Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in January 2003 was an historic occasion which marked the beginning of a new chapter between India and the Indians abroad. Dr Thomas Abraham, International President of The Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) submitted to Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister of India a memorandum outlining some of the concerns of the Global Indian Family.

Dr Abraham wrote the Indian Prime Minister stating, “In future, the PBD should aim at strengthening the emerging policy framework for a constructive and productive engagement between India and the Indian Diaspora. Although the global Indians are being noticed and recognised in every corner of the world for their success in their chosen fields, there exists a gap between the Global Indian Society and India.” The issues that GOPIO have identified are increasingly being seen as vital to reconnect India with the Indian Diaspora and include: dual nationality, a ministry for overseas Indians, parliamentary seats for Non-Resident Indians, human rights watch for Indians outside India, more economic initiatives, and assisting PIOs to trace their ancestry in India.

DUAL NATIONALITY
Dual citizenship has been one of the standing demands of the Diaspora and we welcome the announcement made by the Prime Minister and the decision of cabinet granting dual nationality. The Indian Diaspora strongly feels that the dual citizenship would result in their playing a bigger role by way of investment and other economic and social benefits to India. Today, the Indian Diaspora numbers over 20 million spreading far and wide and their annual income of $160 billion is estimated to be equal to one-third of India’s GDP. GOPIO requests the Government of India to accelerate the legislation process and set up the administrative regulations and procedure for granting the dual nationality to qualified NRIs/PIOs.

A NEW MINISTRY FOR OVERSEAS INDIANS
WHEREAS, people of Indian origin have been making tremendous contribution to India’s development by bringing new technologies and businesses, by investing in core sectors of the economy, by contributing to India’s foreign exchange reserve, by helping in areas of education, health and other charitable activities;
WHEREAS, the NRIs/PIOs have been instrumental in building a good image of India outside;
WHEREAS, thousands of NRI/PIO individuals and organisations have been participating in the charitable and developmental activities of India;
GOPIO urges the  Govt of India to establish a Ministry for Overseas Indians similar to the Ministry of Overseas Chinese in China, so as to facilitate all NRI/PIO related issues and activities through this ministry.

RAJYA SABHA SEATS FOR NRIs
WHEREAS, people of Indian origin living outside India represent a tremendous resource in intellectual, technical, scientific, professional, trade, and entrepreneurial skills with high potential and keenness to contribute to the well-being and prosperity of their motherland, GOPIO urges the Indian cabinet to appoint a few prominent NRIs (who are Indian citizens) as Rajya Sabha members so as to reinforce the bonds between India and the overseas NRI/PIO community.

MORE ECONOMIC INITIATIVES
India could attract more Foreign Direct Investment if procedural delays are cut down. A conducive climate has to be created in India for investors’ confidence. The expertise in management, financial, corporate, trade and banking sectors of the NRIs/PIOs should be tapped in for rapid economic rejuvenation of India. The Diaspora’s presence in their countries of settlement has also catalysed demand for Indian goods and services ranging from food to fashion. There was tremendous response when the Government came up with Resurgent India Bond and India Millennium Deposits. The Government should come up with more such schemes to attract the NRI investment.

VOTING RIGHTS FOR INDIAN CITIZENS LIVING OUTSIDE INDIA
WHEREAS, about 30 persent of the Indians living outside India are still citizens of India;
WHEREAS, most of the countries provide opportunities for their citizens living outside their countries to participate in the election process of their countries;
WHEREAS, India is yet to establish a mechanism to provide such an opportunity for its citizens numbering about 6 million; GOPIO urges the Government of India to initiate the process of providing voting rights, through a constitutional amendment, to Indian citizens living outside India.

POLITICAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OF NRIs/PIOs
WHEREAS in some countries with large NRI/PIO population, there are instances of political and human rights violations, GOPIO urges the Govt of India to take a proactive stand on such issues.

HELPING PIOs TO FIND THEIR ROOTS
There are many PIOs particularly living in Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Trinidad, Surinam, etc who would like to “re-discover” places of birth and other information concerning their family roots. The information registered in their respective countries about them is so meagre that it hampers making any progress in discovering their roots. Most of the people left India by ships as indentured labourers from ports in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. GOPIO requests the Government of India to host a website exclusively for the PIOs with details and particulars concerning the emigrants, their port of embarkation, destination, original village, etc from information stored in archives in India. The website should include the assistance (document/search, local transport, guides/district administration, etc) which the Government is ready to provide to PIO’s travelling to India in search of their roots. The State governments should ask its district administrations to help and co-operate with PIOs seeking information about their ancestral roots providing with administrative assistance. This will go a long way to help PIOs from other countries to explore their roots and eventually meaningful enquiry for reunification to establish links with their own.