“My parents experienced the anguish of leaving their small town of Gujarat. Kanu Desai and Lata Desai left India, but India never left them. This award is a celebration of that journey and a reaffirmation of that connection. The most famous Pravasi, Mahatma Gandhi tried to make a change to the lives of his people and in the process changed the world,” said Nisha Desai Biswal, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia in the United States Department of State, during her acceptance speech at the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman 2017, on behalf of all the 30 awardees from across 23 countries.
Biswal traced the journey of the Indian diaspora on foreign lands, their struggle to establish themselves in a new land and their strife to retain the emotional and cultural ties with India. Expressing hope of deepening ties between the diaspora and their families back in India, she recalled how the emigrants were accused of betraying their motherland by their own people. “The diaspora faced many challenges. Finally, they stopped hiding and started sharing. The result of such struggles has placed the diaspora as leaders in public life. Indian-Americans are omnipresent, be it as CEOs of Mastercard or Google, they have blended with the rich American tapestry.
“The Indo-American ties is a defining partnership of the 21st century and has been put to test in the recent times. But our shared values have established deeper ties,” said Biswal.
Sharing her experience as the first Indian-American to hold the top, Biswal said, “Often I am asked how I prioritise between my home country and the country of my citizenship. But the best part was the interests of both countries have been common. Our shared values of freedom, democracy, tolerance and pluralism are enshrined in our laws and in our soul, and I define us as nations and people. The Indo-American ties were strengthened decades back even as a young Obama and a young Modi travelled across to understand the shared values.”
President Pranab Mukherjee who delivered the valedictory speech after conferring the awards expressed concern over the plight of temporary migrants in the Gulf region—South East Asia—and pitched for upgradation of their skill. He also felt that concerns of Indian women marrying into NRI families can be effectively addressed by local community organisations.
The president also released a book of select speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi between 2014-15 outside India outlining a new vision of India's foreign policy and its place in the world.
"One of the largest community of expatriates, amounting to about 31.7 millions, the Pravasi Bhartiya stands out for his innate ability to assimilate and yet maintains his identity. He remains as foremost emissaries of the unfolding Indian story," said Mukherjee.
Portugal Prime Minister Antonio Luis Santos da Costa, UK Minister of State for International Development Preeti Patel are also among the awardees.
