Indian President Shri Pranab Mukherjee has bestowed the country’s honours on 15 overseas Indians including Shri Rajkeswur Purryag, the President of Mauritius, as part of activities marking Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (BPD) 2013.
A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the Nigerian delegation to the convention reports that the colourful ceremony held at Le-Meridien Hotel, Kochi, India, on Wednesday.
NAN reports that the awardees were recognised for their roles in various fields of human endeavour in their respective countries of abode. Purryag, the president of Mauritius, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the PBD 2013 was given an award for his achievements in public service while the Australia India Society of Victoria was given community service award.
Others who received community service award were Mr Ashok Vaswani based in Guinea, Indian Doctors Forum, Kuwait, Tan Sri Ravindran Menon, Malaysia, Dr Salendra Singh, New Zealand and Mr Bava Pandalingal of UAE.
Other recipients of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award were Prof. Gursharan Chhatwal of Germany, for Science, Mexico based Dr Rasik Joshi for Literature, while awards for Business went to the duo of Mr Gilbert Moutien of Reunion Island and Mr Mohammed Karuvanthodi of Saudi Arabia.
Public Service award recipients were Mr Ismail Ebrahim of South Africa and Mr Subash Razdan of U.S. while Ms Patricia Rozario of UK got an award for Music while Dr Narendra Kumar of U.S. bagged Healthcare award.
Addressing the recipients and other delegates, Indian president Mukherjee commended the developmental roles being played by some Non Residents Indians (NRI), saying the Government of India was proud of them. “While we celebrate the accomplishments of Indians in the Diaspora, we should not also forget that many of them are struggling to establish themselves and many are facing hardships,’’ he said.
He said the Indian Missions abroad have been working to solve many problems confronting the Indian Diaspora in their respective countries, urging the successful ones among them to assist the upcoming ones.
The President also urged the recipients as well as other delegates at the convention to assist India in its economic growth policy by being partners in progress in the drive towards the realisation of accelerated growth.
He said for India to regain its eight per cent economic growth, there must be high investment rate in the country with Non Resident Indians investing in Indian companies and establishing new ventures.
Mukherjee said that the government of India has set up a friendly economic regime to enable Indians abroad remit money to the country with over 67 billion Dollars remitted as at the end of Oct. 2012.
“With the knowledge and experience you have gained as academics, scholars, scientists, technologists, professionals and businessmen, you can play a decisive role in the development of India’’, he said.
NAN reports that the 2013 convention of Indians in the Diaspora was held in Kochi, India with the theme: “Engaging the Diaspora: The Indian Growth Story’’. The day, Jan. 9, coincides with the date the father of the Indian nation, Mahatma Gandhi, returned from South Africa 98 years ago. (NAN)