Delegates to the recently held Ninth ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas’ (PBD) in Delhi (January 7 to 9) would have felt that the Indian Government has at last understood the need to tap into their resources as an extension of Foreign Policy.
The Indian Diaspora, comprising Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), People of Indian Origin (PIO) and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) look up to the Nation in which they can trace their roots and feel at home. They can also be proud that India is emerging as a global power.
It is gratifying that Indian migrants do well in their adopted countries, rise in their career or profession and occupy high offices. For instance, the Obama Administration in the US has Preetha Bansal (Vice Chair of the Council of the Administrative Conference), Rajiv Shah (Administrator, US Agency for International Development), Vivek Kundra (Federal Chief Information Officer) and Aneesh Chopra (First Chief Technology Officer).
The UK also boasts of many Indians in positions of significance. Among them are business tycoons Lakshmi Mittal, Lord Swaraj Paul, eminent economist and Labour Party MP Lord Megnand Desai.
The Indian Government should use such talent in reshaping its Foreign Policy.
Growing influence
It is important to recognise the role played by the Diaspora in the US in brokering the Nuclear Agreement in 2008.
Indiana University Political Science Professor Dr Sumit Ganguly explained to the Congress the merits of such a Deal to the US, while Indian entrepreneurs based in Texas (contributors to election funding), also lobbied for the Pact.
The Indian Government rightfully honoured Professor Ganguly with the Bharatiya Samman Award at the PBD held in 2009.
This is a marked departure from the past few decades, when talented Indians were not recognised. Interestingly, except for Rabindranath Tagore (and Mother Teresa), all Indian recipients of the Nobel Prize had worked outside India. They include eminent Physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Dr Amartya Sen, Sir C V Raman and Dr Venkatraman (Venki) Ramakrishnan.
Happily, India has now realised the need to honour such great achievers.
New Delhi has often used the services of Indians abroad to influence foreign governments to decide on a number of issues in its favour. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi used the lobbying power of the Hinduja Brothers to obtain crude oil from the Shah of Iran.
Many overseas Indians were involved in the Indian Independence Movement. For instance, Natali Jelal Kalyanji, a Gujarati immigrant in New Zealand, took the lead in writing letters to newspapers advocating India’s independence and highlighting the adverse effects of the British rule.
The best of two worlds
Independent India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru referred to the Diaspora in his speech at Indian Parliament on March 6, 1948.
“This House wants to treat them as Indians, and with the same breath it wants complete franchise for them in the countries where they are living. Of course, the two things do not go together. They get either the franchise as nationals of the other country, or treatment as Indians minus the franchise and ask for them the most favourable treatment given to an alien,” he said.
The Chinese Connection
India can also take a leaf out of China’s policy in tapping the talent and creativity of its Diaspora.
The Chinese call them “compatriots.” Their Government has enacted policies that treat them as “Temporary Absentees,” who would eventually assimilate to China.
These “Temporary Absentees” are considered for a number of posts in the National People’s Congress, provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.
The Chinese constitution (Articles 50, 70 and 89) protects the legitimate rights of Chinese nationals residing abroad and those who have returned home.
In many ways, India was slow to catch up. But the economic reforms and the liberalisation policy was a watershed and the Federal Government is becoming more proactive towards Overseas Indians.
New Delhi’s recent decision t merge the PIO Card with the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Card would help millions of people of the Diaspora.
If the Government pushes the envelope and starts giving voting rights to NRIs, it would enable the latter to participate in India’s development.
It would also enable the Indian government to use the resources of the Diaspora as an effective tool in achieving its foreign policy objectives.
Balaji Chandramohan is our Delhi Correspondent.
