While the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD 2017) was celebrated at Bengaluru, India, from January 7 to January 9, with great pomp and record participation, a miniature version of this celebration was conducted at the Ashoka Hall of the Indian Cultural Centre, on Monday by the Embassy of India in Qatar.
Under the direction of Raj Kumar Singh, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the embassy, and the co-ordinating officer of ICBF, the event was held with an aim to include the members of the Indian diaspora who were unable to attend the PBD back in India and also to educate them about the importance of PBD.
The annual global convention of the Indian diaspora, PBD is celebrated on January 9 every year to strengthen the engagement of the overseas Indian community with the Indian government, reconnect them with their roots and celebrate their achievements and contributions. PBD is celebrated on January 9 as it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi (expat), returned to India from South Africa to lead India’s freedom struggle. So far, 13 PBD conventions have been held in India.
The PBD conventions provide a platform to the overseas Indian community to engage with the government on issues of concern to the Indian Diaspora and to explore opportunities for investment in India and contribution to the country of their origin. These conventions also provide an opportunity to the overseas Indians to network with other overseas Indians residing in various parts of the world.
PBD 2017, which focussed on the theme ‘Redefining engagement with the Indian Diaspora,’ registered a new record of participation as 14 Indian states, including Karnataka, Kerala, Assam, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh, put up stalls at the exhibition.
PBD 2017 focussed mainly on three points: providing a platform for connecting with the diaspora, addressing issues of concern to the Indian diaspora and seeking their insights and suggestions, and deepening engagement with the young diaspora and reconnecting them with their roots. Interestingly, the convention started with the ‘Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas’, which was inaugurated as part of this year’s meet to connect with the new generation growing up across the world.
The ode to the PBD event in Qatar was organised by three apex bodies under the aegis of Indian Embassy of Qatar: Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF), and the Indian Business Professional Network (IBPN).
Niaz Ahmed of ICC, Dr Sonal Sharma of ICBF, and Sujatha of IBPN presented the welcome bouquets to Chief Guest R K Singh. Girish Jain, Head of Finance, ICC; Sameer Moosa, Joint Secretary and Dukhan Representative of ICBF; and Sujatha, Treasurer of IBPN shared the dais with the chief guest and addressed the audience during the public function.
The other dignitaries included K S Dhiman, ICC and ICBF co-ordinating officer; ICC, ICBF and IBPN committee members; and ICBF past presidents K P Abdul Hameed and Nilangshu Dey.
The public function was co-ordinated on stage by Ganguli, head of in-house activities at the ICC, and it consisted of a brief presentation by Sameer Moosa of ICBF on PBD. The presentation also showcased a few glimpses of the delegates from Qatar at Bengaluru in action, and a few pictures of Dr R Seetharaman receiving the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Sammaan from Pranab Mukherjee, President of India. The presentation concluded with a telecast of a speech by Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.
The celebration came to a close with some beautiful dance performances by a talented bunch of children and ladies. The dances were organised by Skills Development Qatar, Telugu Kala Samithi and Indian Cultural Centre and they was co-ordinated by Vishal Mehta, ICC. The overall co-ordination of the event was done by Prasad Koduru, ICC, and the logistical arrangements were done by Niaz Ahmed, ICC.
The event was inaugurated by Raj Kumar Singh, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian embassy and the co-ordinating officer of ICBF, along with other dignitaries.
