Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], January 8 (ANI): South Africa’s High Commissioner to India Anil Sooklal said on Tuesday that it is a great privilege to attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar and recalled the memories of PBD held in Varanasi in 2019.
In an interview with ANI, he praised the Indian government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for organising the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. He noted that they cannot talk about India without mentioning the Indian diaspora.
He said, “It’s a great privilege to be part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here in the historical city of Bhubaneswar. I have fond recollections of PBD in 2019 in Varanasi where I was accorded the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. It was a very great privilege and honour for me to be recognized by the Indian government and I think we must commend the government of India, Prime Minister Modi Ji, and Minister Jaishankar for having this PBD and keeping it and sustaining it. I think today the Indian diaspora is an integral part of India’s architecture. You cannot speak of India without the Indian diaspora. It is two sides of the same coin. As you see the rise of India, you also see the prominence of the global Indian diaspora.”
He called the Indian diaspora the most influential and one of the most respected for the role they play not just in terms of their respective countries of residence, but also in terms of nurturing the bonds with India and the role they play globally.
Highlighting the role of the Indian diaspora as India is becoming a superpower, he said, “As India becomes more and more of a superpower, the role of the diaspora is an important part of supporting that rise of India. So, the PBD, I think, is an important umbilical cord that links the people of India with this most dynamic global diaspora. The Indian diaspora today is the most influential, one of the largest, and one of the most respected for the role they play, not just in terms of their respective countries of residence, but also in terms of nurturing the bonds with India and the role they play globally.”
“A number of, I always speak of a Global South diaspora because I come from South Africa, a country from the Global South. And those of us who were part of the indenture system, we’re very proud that we have our culture embedded in the Indian subcontinent and the PBD is a recognition of our identity, our heritage, and our roots in many senses. So, having this event on a regular basis provides us a platform to link not only with India, but also with the international global diaspora, for us to interact with each other, get to know each other, share our challenges, and share also our experiences between this vast diaspora,” he added.
He stated that Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a unique opportunity for people to interact with each other. He said that the event has a very important role to play in terms of cementing ties between the Indian diaspora and India and contributing to the new emerging global order.
Speaking about Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, he said, “It’s a unique opportunity where you can interact with people not only from India, all parts of India, all strata of society, from government, civil society, the private sector, people from the arts, culture, sporting fraternity. It brings the whole family together. But, I think equally important, is those of us who are scattered around the globe, who do not have an opportunity to interact with each other, this provides the nucleus where we can come, whether we farm Fiji, Mauritius, Trinidad, Guyana, South Africa, Malaysia, we all converge here under the umbrella of the PBD and I hope this platform will continue to flourish.”
“It has a very important role to play, not only in terms of cementing ties between the Indian diaspora and India but also contributing to the new emerging global order. The Indian diaspora is playing an active role in that in the respective countries and India continues to nurture that and India is providing global leadership, especially as the voice of the Global South in this very difficult world we live in today. We need a country like India to provide that moral leadership in this difficult time. And the PBD reflects on a whole spectrum of cooperation. And I think that is very important, where you link people at different levels of positions they occupy in society, and you give recognition to all of that. And we would like to congratulate the Indian government for convening this forum, and also seeing that the diaspora is an important part of the journey towards Viksit Bharat. And I think we feel very privileged and proud to be part of this journey. And we will continue to strengthen the bonds in our interaction between ourselves in the diaspora community and with the Indian government and the people of India,” he added.
He emphasised the role of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in strengthening ties between nations, especially countries, where there is a significant Indian population. He recalled how he was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas award in 2019 in recognition of promoting bilateral ties.
Asked about the role of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in terms of diplomacy, he said, “I think it provides a very important and strategic platform. I received my PBD in recognition of promoting bilateral relations under the diplomatic tag. So, that itself is testimony to how important this platform is. And I think strengthening diplomatic ties between countries, especially countries that have very significant Indian population, and today there are innumerable countries, where you have people of Indian origin that are presidents, that are prime ministers, that are ministers, that are senior civil servants, head of multinationals, all having the roots in India.”
“So, on the diplomatic front, I think they play an important role. My being here is a testimony to that. My government recognizes the fact that I have a strong understanding of India and that I can play an important role in strengthening the very historical ties that we have between South Africa and India. So, I think diplomacy is an integral part of PBD and it must continue to be so because today in this fractured world we need diplomacy more so than ever before,” he added.
The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is being organized in partnership with the State Government of Odisha from January 8 to 10 in Bhubaneswar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 18th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) convention at Bhubaneswar, Odisha on January 9 at 10:00 am.
The theme of this PBD Convention is “Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat.” A large number of Indian diaspora members from over 50 different countries have registered to participate in the PBD Convention. (ANI)
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