What is called to be the biggest celebratory event for Indian diaspora in India – 14th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas has begun in Bengaluru on January 7, 2017.
Indian Ministers Vijay Goel, Gen (Retd) VK Singh, RV Deshpande along with Vice-President of Suriname Michael Ashwin Adhin inaugurated the event. The three-day PBD started with Youth Pravasi Divas, which targeted the young Indians living abroad.
In his opening speech, VK Singh, said the common thread that binds the Indian diaspora together is the enduring connect with a country whose history dates back to five millennia. While recalling the previous PBD held in 2015, which was about 3Cs – connect, celebrate and contribute, he said this year it will be all about 4Ts.
"I would like to mention in this Youth PBD 2017, about 4 Ts through which you can transform your lives as well as that of India. These are Talent, Technology, Training and Teamwork," he said.
Vice-President of Suriname Michael Ashwin Adhin in his address at the inaugural session went on to say that India can be a ‘Vishwa guru’, he said that a stronger and more influential India was needed for the balance of power in the world. The 36-year-old leader whose ancestors are from India said, “Indian diaspora, especially the youth can play an important role to enable India don more influential role in geopolitics.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Indian diaspora tomorrow on January 9, 2017 along with the chief guest Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa. January 9 is the main day of three-day PBD as it is the day when Mahatma Gandhi, the “greatest Pravasi”, returned to India from South Africa to led India’s freedom struggle in 1915.