The global Indian: Third Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas reduced to networking forum

STAR POWER: Jaya Prada, Amitabh Bachchan, Mulayam Yadav, Amar Singh, Jaya Bachcahn, Raj Babbar and Shabana AzmiNo matter how hard officials try to make a success of it, the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD) celebrations remain just that-celebrations without substance.The third such event held at the S.N. Kohli Grounds in Mumbai this week boasted a record 3,000 delegates from 62 countries and the presence of the President and prime minister of India. But lack of clarity and focus-pointless debates and many no-shows-left the nonresident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) disappointed. At the biggest annual conglomeration of overseas Indians the promise of dual citizenship was once again offered as the Government's hors d'oeuvre.While former prime minister A.B. Vajpayee had pledged it to the diaspora in the first two PBD editions, it was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who unveiled a new and improved version at the opening ceremony of the third. He extended the offer to all overseas Indians who had migrated after January 26, 1950, provided the laws in their home countries permitted twin passports. He was greeted with rapturous applause.SHOW STOPPERSNO SHOWS: The show's glam quotient dipped when star speakers like Aamir Khan and L.K. Advani, and PBD awardees like Vikram Seth and Manoj N. Shyamalan, failed to turn up. Worse, the NRIs missed out on Bollywood fun despite paying $200, when it was cancelled due to the tsunami tragedy.OUT IN THE COLD: Irked at being left out of the PBD invites and having been added to the inaugural speakers' list at the last minute, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh refused to meet potential NRI investors, rushing to Pondicherry to supervise relief work instead.STATE OF DISCONNECT: At the Gujarat presentation at Hilton Towers, Chief Minister Narendra Modi's request to be shot with "Bapuji's" portrait as a backdrop had a UK delegate fuming. "How can he use the coincidence that he too is a Gujarati to bring NRI investments when the state is now known more for its sectarian violence than anything else?" Held in the country's entertainment and business capital for the first time, the event that has become a glitzy showcase of all things Indian,was considerably toned down in keeping with the sombre post-tsunami mood. A few NRI stars did, however, light up the occasion, including telecom poster boy Sam Pitroda and United Nations official-cum-author Shashi Tharoor. But as always it was the promises that were in abundance.Besides the dual citizenship, there was the promise to end sham NRI marriages that victimise young Indian women. Proffered by Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs Jagdish Tytler, the idea is currently being debated. The Government also plans to set up a law office in Dubai to take up labour, domestic and corporate crime related problems of Gulf workers. But the most extravagant promise was of building NRI cities-complete townships providing various facilities-in all major Indian cities.The plethora of promises were followed by three days of long-winding speeches, drab panel discussions and insipid exhibitions. Without any real theme or substance, the organisers - the newly formed Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) and FICCI-turned the Rs 6 crore event into a forum for attracting NRI investments. Even Finance Minister P. Chidambaram got into the act, calling upon the diaspora to adopt a new role as "non-resident investors".Another damper was the turf war between the MEA and MOIA, with the entire MEA top brass, including ministers, missing from the celebrations. While MEA officials insist it was not preplanned, it was a clear indication that the two arms of the UPA Government were still having problems cohabiting. The official reason for the absence of Minister of External Affairs K. Natwar Singh was his presence at Jakarta for a tsunami relief summit. However, sources say it is well known that Singh was also unhappy with Tytler's statements to the media blaming the MEA for stalling work distribution to his ministry.Singh's deputy, E. Ahamed, who was designated MEA's official representative, also failed to show up having been "diverted" to Nairobi for the signing ceremony of the Sudan peace accord. The other minister of state, Rao Inderjit Singh, was too busy handling the Congress campaign in Haryana for next month's assembly elections. Even senior Opposition leaders stayed away. Though Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani's name was on the list, he did not receive the invitation much like other senior Opposition MPs who failed to get theirs.It was, however, an opportunity for the states to woo NRI greenbacks. So while Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala made PowerPoint presentations on various development projects, Uttar Pradesh lined up heavyweights like state ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, wife Jaya, and Samajwadi Party MPs Jaya Prada and Raj Babbar. The "Invest in UP" representation was the biggest star gathering that the entertainment-starved NRIs got a peek at. The 200-seater auditorium had people spilling into the aisles while the guards at the entrance and PBD volunteers had a tough time refusing entry to NRIs. Even corporate bigwigs Subhash Chandra Goyal and Anand Mahindra had to manage with cramped seats.It wasn't surprising that several delegates felt the event was not worth their while with its panel discussions- where speakers failed to turn up-and restricted interactions between government officials and NRIs. A frustrated B.R. Sainath Iyer from Fiji,whoattended a debate ontourism and culture, said, "Most of the NRIs here are looking to fill a cultural void. PBD should not fail to address that." In another session on India and Generation Next, there were only obscure references to the subject. "We would prefer if Indian films remained Indian and did not show sex like the American films. They should retain the subtlety of romance for which our films are famous," said a Harvard educated delegate to a panel that included Yash Chopra and TV bigwig Kunal Dasgupta.The lone attraction for the NRIs was the networking opportunity, with the PBD serving as an effective matchmaking forum for the eligible Indian youth. So while the 20-something women were chaperoned by their parents to hastily arranged meetings at theHilton Towers, conveniently located opposite the PBD venue, shaadi.com evoked an unprecedented response with NRIs queuing up to register.The PBD may be growing in scale and attendance each year, but if the event is to become more than a matchmaking meet or a networking forum, it will have to deliver on its promises. Dual citizenship could be a good start. - with Saurabh ShuklaPublished By: AtMigration Published On: Jan 24, 2005 00:00 IST--- ENDS ---

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The global Indian: Third Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas reduced to networking forum

The third NRI fest was all promises, but not promising enough. Despite a record 3,000 delegates, it lacked focus and proved only a forum for networking and wooing investments.

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