Prime Minister Vajpayee's speech at the inauguration of the  International Convention of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin

New Delhi
January 06, 2001

"It gives me great pleasure to join you for, the inauguration of this International Convention of Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin. Many of you have travelled great distances to attend this conference. In a sense, this is also a homecoming for you. 

Today, there are nearly 20 million people of Indian origin living in almost every corner of the world. Rare is the country where you will not come across people of Indian origin. They have adopted foreign shores as their own. But neither the passage of time nor the distance between their ancestral land and their new homes has "been able to sever the umbilical cord between Mother India and her children abroad.

You are as much the inheritors of India's rich civilisational heritage as your brothers and sisters back home in India. And, we are proud that you have kept alive your distinct cultural  identity even while making a place for yourselves in a foreign social and cultural milieu.

We are equally proud of the fact that people of Indian origin, wherever they may be living, have greatly enriched the society, economy and culture of their adopted countries. The success stories of Indian entrepreneurs abroad are legendary. From hi-tech chip laboratories to curry restaurants, from renowned hospitals to famous educational institutions, from well-known research centres to leading think-tanks -everywhere you will find an Indian who has overcome all odds to establish himself through skill, dedication and hard work. 

Your adopted countries have benefited from your unique contributions to their social and economic transformation. You have also contributed towards enhancing awareness about India's past history, present reality and future potential.

Indeed, from the sweat and tears of indentured Indian labour toiling on colonial sugar and tea plantations in the 19th century to the intellectual achievements of the Indian software community in the Silicon Valley of the 21st century, the odyssey of the Indian community at large is a reflection of the potential of our people and the magnitude of their contribution towards global prosperity. 

The Indian diaspora's contributions are not merely confined to the culture and economy of their adopted countries. Despite their numerical disadvantage, the Indian communities living abroad have made deep impressions on the political processes of their adopted countries.

The active participation of people from India in the nationalist movement in Africa as early as the beginning of the 20th century is well documented. Mahatma Gandhi's baptism in mass politics was in South Africa. His joining the struggle against racial injustice and discrimination was an event that proved to be a turning point in history - not only in South Africa but also in India.

India's struggle for independence was greatly strengthened by the substantial support of Indian communities. The India League in the UK and the Gadar Party in the USA played an important role in mobilising support for our struggle for independence. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and his INA received the unstinting support of Indians living in South-East Asian countries.

Between then and now, the Indian community living abroad has come to play a determining role in the politics of their adopted countries, not only as leaders of the Indian diaspora, but also as leaders in the truest sense of the term. I recall that the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit at Durban in 1999 was attended by as many as five heads of state or heads of Government who are of Indian origin.

However, in this impressive success story, a blemish has recently crept in. We have watched with distress the overthrow of a democratically elected Government in Fiji and a series of subsequent actions that have hit at the people of Indian origin in that country and more particularly the poorer among them. The Indian diaspora abroad has an important role in mobilising public concern the world over at the events in Fiji and in seeking nothing less than a restoration in that country of due constitutional processes as enshrined in the 1997 Constitution. 

Friends, I have often come across people of Indian origin who are eager to participate in India's nation-building efforts - as a tribute to the country of their origin, as a means of strengthening the bonds of love and affection that exists between them and India. The cooperation and valuable support extended by people of Indian origin and non-resident Indians during the last decade of economic liberalisation and structural reforms have greatly encouraged us and contributed to the birth of resurgent India. 

Today, India stands on the threshold of a technological revolution in many areas that define the 'New Economy' of the 21st century; information technology, biotechnology, agriculture, space and energy. The Indian diaspora, has made seminal contributions to the development of many of these sectors in their adopted countries. They can now playa vital role by making a similar contribution to India in these sectors. Let me give an example: We aspire to make India a knowledge super power by the year 2010: you can help us fulfill this aspiration.

Many of you owe your current success to the quality education which you have received in Government run institutions, be they Indian Institutes of Technology or medical colleges. You now owe it to your motherland to associate yourself  with India's search for rapid and enduring social change and economic progress.

I would like to emphasise that we do not merely seek investment and asset transfer. What we seek is a broader relationship - in fact, a partnership among all children of Mother India so that our country can emerge as a major global player. We value the role of people of Indian origin as unofficial ambassadors providing a link between India, and the rest of the world. 

My Government's policy is to assist the- overseas Indian community in maintaining its cultural identity and strengthening the emotional, cultural and spiritual bonds that bind them to the country of their origin. We will provide all help to the overseas Indians in maintaining their cultural identity even while encouraging their political commitment to their adopted countries.

With this objective in mind, we have constituted a high level committee on the Indian Diaspora, headed by Shri L. M. Singhvi. This Committee has been tasked to study the expectations of overseas Indians from India. It will study the role that people of Indian origin and non-resident Indians can play in the economic, social and technological progress of India. It will examine the current regime that governs your travel and stay in India as well as your investment in the Indian economy. It will recommend measures to resolve the problems faced by you.

More fundamentally, the Committee has been asked to review the status of people of Indian origin and non-resident Indians in the context of the constitutional provisions, laws and rules applicable to them both in India and the countries of their residence.

These will go a long way in developing a strong, and mutually beneficial relationship between India and the Indian diaspora. 

Friends, the underpinnings of our civilisational history and cultural heritage have been the tradition of tolerance, openness to new ideas, respect for ancient wisdom, intellectual pursuit and abhorrence of violence. The people, of Indian origin and non-resident Indians are a living testimony to the noble tradition of blending the old with the new.

With these words, I am pleased to inaugurate this International Convention of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin.