Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2023: History And Significance Of This Day

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Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is a flagship event of the Government of India observed on 9 January every year to respect and highlight the achievements and contributions of the Indian Diaspora in the world and also in the development of this nation. This year, 9 January 2023 will mark the 17th edition of this event.

The PBD Convention 2023 will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Indore on Monday. The inaugural event will feature addresses by the Chief Guest, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, The President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and the Special Guest of Honour, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname.

Every year more than 3,500 diaspora members from nearly 70 different countries register for the PBD Convention. This year, the theme of PBD Convention is "Diaspora: Reliable partners for India's progress in Amrit Kaal".

The reason behind choosing 9 January for celebrating PBD is to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India on 9 January 1915. Gandhi, fondly known as Bapu is considered to be among the most prominent Pravasi who made a significant contribution to the freedom struggle of India.

A Commemorative Postal Stamp 'Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen' will be released to underline the importance of safe, legal, orderly and skilled migration.

History Of Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas

It was in the year 2003 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then Prime Minister of India was approached with a proposal of observing Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas from the High-Level Committee (HLC). The proposal was sent to Atal Bihari Vajpayee under the Chairmanship of Laxmi Mall Singhvi, the then member of the Rajya Sabha and diplomat.

Hence, the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas came into existence in 2003 and is currently sponsored by the Minister of External Affairs, Government of India, the Confederation of Indian Industries, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.

Since then every year 9 January is observed as the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas. It was in 2006 when the concept of Overseas Citizen of Indian Community (OCI) was launched at the celebration of Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in Hyderabad.

Significance Of Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas

• The celebration provides a platform for the overseas Indian community to interact with the people living in their homeland and the government of India regarding development activities.
• Every year the celebration has a different theme to create public awareness.
• The celebration is massive as Indian Diaspora across the world come together to be a part of this event. Apart from this, Indian citizens to participate in this event.
• During this event, several people with exceptional and outstanding merit are honoured with the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award. Also, their contribution towards the significant growth of India is acknowledged by the Government of India.
• There is also a discussion forum where domestic people can interact with the Indian Diaspora and look for ways to ensure significant growth of the country.

Also read: 10 Interesting Facts About January That Will Surely Take You By Surprise

This year we will be celebrating the 16th edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas. We hope this year too the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas will be having some informative and effective theme for inspiring people and honouring the Overseas Indian Community.