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Rekha Dixit
Rekha Dixit

DIASPORA

India to host first PIO parliamentarian conference

narendra-modi-pti26917 [FILE] Prime Minister Narendra Modi | PTI

The conference will be held in New Delhi on January 9

The Indian diaspora is getting influential across the world. So much so that there are over 270 people of Indian origin in various positions of leadership—heads of state and government, senators, state leaders and Members of Parliament.  In a unique initiative to forge ties with this influential diaspora, India will host the first ever PIO parliamentarian conference in New Delhi on January 9. As many as 124 MPs and 17 mayors from 23 countries will participate in this meet. 

Dnyaneshwar Mulay, secretary, Overseas Indians Affairs, said that they deliberately restricted the invites to MPs and mayors and not ministers and heads of states and governments. “At those levels there are regular interactions; we wanted to connect with the parliamentarians, instead. Also, at higher positions, there are too many layers of protocol to observe.'' Former president of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo and former prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad Bissessar will also attend in their present capacity as parliamentarians. 

The event will start with an address by Prime minister Narendra Modi. The two working sessions will be on PIO parliamentarians, the story of the journey to parliament, and Resurgent India, the role of PIO parliamentarians. 

Mulay said the one-day interaction hopes to establish a network with leaders of Indian origin in various countries, and get a feedback on the direction in which Indian engagement with the diaspora should proceed. “It will be a cathartic experience for many of them,'' said Mulay. He said that a strong India encouraged the diaspora, just as an emerging diaspora encouraged India. 

Guyana is sending the largest delegation of 20 MPs and three mayors followed by Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom and Mauritius. Despite a rise in numbers of Indians in state governments and even the senate and Congress in the US, it is sending only two delegates. This, the ministry of externals affairs explained, was because the senate is in session in the US. 

Although there are four MPs from Sri Lanka, the rest of the neighbourhood is not being represented in the meet. India did not send invites to SAARC nations for the obvious reason—they are part of the same subcontinent. This effort was to reach out beyond. 

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Topics : #Overseas Indians | #MEA

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