The Indian diaspora has emerged as a powerful entity since it is recognised as "soft power" in the realm of foreign policy strategy and also acts as a catalyst of economic development of the country of origin, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said on Wednesday. Speaking at the 'Pravasi Bharatiya Divas' virtual conference on the 'Role of Diaspora in Promotion of Indian Culture Abroad', Muraleedharan said the Indian diaspora had provided a global identity to the country as a land of flavours, rich heritage through its music, dance, Bollywood, among others, and it had been at the forefront in passing Indian traditions, culture, values, morals and more from one generation to another.
The Indian diaspora has also encouraged the host country to adopt many aspects of Indian culture and heritage. India is recognised internationally for its intellect, scientific temper, "way of life" through ayurveda, yoga, among others, he said. While the Indian diaspora has seamlessly integrated with the countries of their adoption, they have also maintained very close links with their ethno-cultural roots in India, Muraleedharan said.
The Indian diaspora has acted as bridges, mediators, facilitators, lobby and advocacy groups for taking primacy of India's national security and economic interests and soft power projection, he said. "With the collective efforts of 130 crore Indians, we embark on a new journey of hopes and aspirations. While India is moving ahead on the path of development at a rapid pace, the goodwill and support of our Indian diaspora abroad cannot be overemphasized," Muraleedharan said.
Indian diaspora has emerged as a powerful entity since it is recognised as "soft power" in the realm of foreign policy strategy and also as an agent or catalyst of economic development of the country of origin, besides playing an active role in the host countries, he said. The Indian diaspora is the second largest diaspora in the world, and is counted among the most successful expat communities anywhere in the world, Muraleedharan said.
"Today, they occupy high positions in the fields of politics, economy, industry, technology and education," he said. "This heterogeneous group drawn from different historical and cultural contexts of migration are identified and held together by their Indian-ness and a deep cultural and emotional attachment towards Mother India," the minister said.
"Our objective is to make this government-diaspora collaboration for cultural promotion abroad more effective, focused and self sustaining, with a special emphasis on engaging with the youth. Let the diaspora take a greater ownership of the process," Muraleedharan said.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here
Comments
0 comment