The Hindu : Front Page : High expectations from Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

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Saturday, Jan 07, 2006

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High expectations from Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

S. Nagesh Kumar

Manmohan Singh to inaugurate the mega event today

HYDERABAD: Although security is a major concern for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas-2006 being inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday, it has not altogether overshadowed the mega event which Indians from overseas will be attending with high expectations.

Registration by `pravasi bharatiyas' touched the 1,000-mark at 5 p.m. on Friday against 1300 in the third edition of the PBD held in Mumbai last year but the Ministry of Overseas Indians is banking on attendance to pick up in spot registrations before the three-day convention begins.

Three reasons are being cited for the diminishing attendance -- the novelty of the event is wearing off, Hyderabad does not have international air connectivity like Mumbai or New Delhi and lastly, the security concerns. While little can be done about the first two, security has been tightened in the twin cities after the Union Home Secretary and the Intelligence Bureau Director reviewed the situation with State officials.

The Government appeared worried over media reports that fundamentalists linked with the attack on the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, had their roots in Andhra Pradesh. Three Ministers met senior journalists on Friday when they tried to dispel the notion that Hyderabad was becoming an `ISI hub'. Frenetic efforts were being made to spruce up the city for the mega event which will also be attended by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on January 9. Chief Ministers of six States have confirmed their participation.

Overseas Indians can expect an announcement from Union Finance Minister P. Chidrambaram on Saturday about the creation of a secure and fast electronic remittance gateway. Remittances into India last year were 21.7 billion dollars which, according to Union Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs Oscar Fernandes, is the highest any country, including China, was receiving from its diaspora. Besides, a broad-band insurance cover is being planned for NRIs working in the Gulf region while a proposal to give overseas Indians the right to vote is under consideration.

Economic strength

The PBD-2006 begins against the backdrop of the confidence that India is emerging as an economic powerhouse which is poised to become the world's third largest economy by 2030. PBD-2006, being billed as an "outcome-oriented" convention, will also look at gender-related issues, particularly the high divorce of Indian women. Andhra Pradesh, according to Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, is looking at investments in pharmaceutical industries, IT, biotech and health tourism.

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