Indian ambassador Periyasamy Kumaran has urged his compatriots to avail of meetings like Pravasi Bharathiya Sammelan (PBS) to highlight effectively and efficiently those issues and concerns that they are encountering in their day-to-day lives. Kumaran said this yesterday while addressing a meeting that he convened to brief the delegates and other community members on the agenda of the forthcoming PBS to be held in Bengaluru between January 7-9 next year.
While appreciating the community members for their proactive and positive involvement in those issues concerning their welfare and social security, the envoy said the PBS conference this time would have sessions exclusively for residents of the Gulf states. “They will be discussed at length along with the issues of those Indians residing in the 17 ECR (Emigration Clearance Required) countries,” he said while adding that representatives from Qatar would also be heard if they have any genuine issues and concerns to highlight there.
At the meeting, the ambassador said he was happy that at least 60 people from Qatar have shown keen interest to attend the PBS. “The Government of India and External Affairs Ministry would be more happy if the figure exceeds 100,” he said.
Kumaran also informed that sessions in Bengaluru meetings would cover such issues as the contributions of Indian diaspora in general, improvement in consular services at Indian embassies, problems in the higher education and further other opportunities of NRI children, exploring possibility for setting up start-ups in some of the key Indian states, roles and functioning of forums of expatriates, social security, and above all reverse migration to India.
Inquiries with those who had attended the previous editions of the conference found the usual attendance from Qatar for PBS was anywhere between five and 15.
Later, while thanking the ambassador for his initiatives in convening two meetings for PBS delegates and community members prior to the PBS conference, representatives of forums said such meetings were unprecedented in the country’s expatriate community and they were giving delegates a clearer picture of what kind of issues were discussed at conferences like PBS.
Replying to a suggestion from a community member, the ambassador said, he would alert the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to explore the possibility of publishing something like a ‘white paper’ on the discussions taking place at the PBS and it would be informed to the community members in a meeting.
Senior community member Hassan Chougale, Indian Business Promotion Network Chairman K M Varghese, outgoing president of Indian Cultural Centre Girish Kumar, former ICBF president Arvind Patil and outgoing ICC secretary Seenu Pillai spoke. More than 125 members attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, the ambassador congratulated newly elected presidents of ICC and Indian Community Benevolent Forum, Milan Arun and Davis Edakalathoor and their team members.
MEETING POINT: Indian ambassador P Kumaran addressing the community members at Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) yesterday. Photo by Jayan Orma
