INDIAN DIASPORA - POLITY
News: India
is for your ‘interests and expectations’, PM Modi tells overseas Indians
What's in the news?
● Recently,
the Prime Minister inaugurated the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas convention in
Madhya Pradesh on the occasion of Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas (PBD).
Key takeaways:
● India
will nurture and protect its diaspora spread across the world, said Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on January 9.
● Inaugurating
the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention in Indore, Mr. Modi urged
members of the diaspora to become representatives
of “India’s heritage”.
● He
termed every overseas Indian a
“Bharatvanshi” and promised the Government’s support for his or her
well-being.
● Mr.
Modi said the diaspora represented a
“powerful and capable India” adding that the diaspora could help introduce
India to the world. He asserted that the “ancestors” of contemporary Indians
paved the way for “India’s cultural expansion” in other parts of the world.
About Indian diaspora:
In India, diaspora is commonly
understood to include Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Overseas Citizens of
India (OCI).
1. Non-Resident Indians (NRI):
NRIs
are Indians who are residents of foreign countries. A person is considered NRI
if:
● She/he
is not in India for 182 days or more during the financial year.
● If
he/she is in India for less than 365 days during the 4 years preceding that
year and less than 60 days in that year.
2. Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs):
PIO
refers to a foreign citizen (except a national of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
China, Iran, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal) who:
● At
any time held an Indian passport, or who or either of their parents/
grandparents/great grandparents was born and permanently resided in India as
defined in the Government of India Act, 1935 or who is a spouse of a citizen of
India or a PIO.
● The PIO category was
abolished in 2015 and merged with the OCI category.
3. Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs):
A
separate category of OCI was carved out in 2005. An OCI card was given to a foreign
national:
● Who
was eligible to be a citizen of India on January 26, 1950
● Was
a citizen of India on or at any time after January 26, 1950 or belonged to a
territory that became part of India after August 15, 1947.
● Minor
children of such individuals, except those who were a citizen of Pakistan or
Bangladesh, were also eligible for OCI cards.
Indian Migrants Population in the World:
● According
to the World Migration Report, 2022, India
will have the largest immigrant population in the world in 2020, making it
the top origin country globally, followed by Mexico, Russia and China.
● The
countries with over 10 lakh overseas Indians include:
○ United
States of America, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, South
Africa, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Kuwait and Canada.
● Diasporas are symbols of
a nation’s pride and represent their country internationally.
The diaspora’s ability to spread Indian soft power, lobby for India’s national
interests, and contribute economically to India’s rise is now well-recognized.
Significance of Indian diaspora:
1. Soft diplomacy:
● The
Indian diaspora is an important part of India’s “soft diplomacy”, which
sometimes proves to be more effective in creating new paths for the country of
origin.
● For
example, the Indian diaspora played a critical role in the fructification of
the Indo-US Nuclear deal.
2. Remittance:
● One
of the greatest economic contributions of the Indian diaspora has been in terms
of remittances.
● Remittances
make an invaluable contribution by aiding
in socio-economic development, poverty reduction and changes in consumption
behavior in rural areas.
● According
to the World Bank Migration and Development Brief, released in 2022, for the
first time a single country, India, is on track to receive more than USD 100 billion in yearly remittances.
3. Spread of indigenous culture and traditions:
● Cultural
spread helps in export of domestic cuisines and merchandise which open the room
for investment in the host countries to feed
the local tastes of people for those cuisines.
4. National representations across the globe:
● Diasporas
are symbols of a nation’s pride and represent their country internationally.
● They
help in building a country's value
internationally through their huge success stories.
5. Help in technology transfer:
● Diasporas
are mostly based in foreign countries which are developed and hence are
technologically advanced and rich in innovations.
● They
help in bringing these technologies and innovations to their country of origin
through investment and collaborations.
6. As a Pressure group:
● The
influential Indian diaspora affects not just the popular attitude, but also
government policies in countries where they live, to the benefit of India.
India benefits tremendously through these people in luring large multinational
companies as well as entrepreneurial ventures.
7. Agents of change:
● Enhancing
and facilitating investment, hastening industrial growth, and enhancing both
international trade and tourism.
8. Freedom struggle:
● Mahatma
Gandhi’s struggle to end the systemic prejudice against Indians in South Africa
inspired legends about the diaspora that have endured in contemporary India.
● As
the fight for independence gained traction at home, it started to have an
impact on many Indian communities abroad.
Major issues of Indian diaspora:
1. Racial antagonism:
● Rising
incidence of hate speech and crimes against Indians by the locals due to
racism, communalism emboldened by coming of nationalist and ultra-nationalist
governments to power in many countries.
2. Threat to their security:
● The
security of foreign workers in the Middle East is now under new threat as a
result of recent violent incidents
in the region. For instance, the IS group recently abducted Indian workers.
3. Threat to their employment (Nitaqat Law):
● It
aims to replace a significant portion of foreign workers in Saudi Arabia with
locals. This has an impact on international workers from Kerala, Tennessee,
etc.
4. Political Polarization:
● Many
Indians abroad are turning against India since the change of Government and
some extreme right wing factionists.
5. Dual Citizenship:
● Majority
of the Indian diaspora want to retain their Indian citizenship along with the
citizenship of the country of their residence.
6. Consular and other issues:
● The
commonest grievance of the Diaspora is the ill treatment, harassment and the
demands for illegal gratification it encounters at the hands of our customs and
immigration officials at the points of entry.
Government initiatives for the Indian diaspora:
1. Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas:
● The
“Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas” is an initiative started by the Government in 2003 to
mark the contribution of the Indian community overseas in the development of India.
2. Education:
● NRI
seats are reserved in all the medical, engineering and other professional
colleges.
3. Know India Program (KIP):
● It
is a flagship initiative for Diaspora engagement which familiarizes
Indian-origin youth (18-30 years) with their Indian roots and contemporary
India has been refashioned.
4. Grievance redressal mechanism:
● The
authorities have been ensuring 100 percent grievance redressal through
E-Migration Portal, Madad Portal, and CPGRAMS.
5. Minimum Referral Wages (MRW):
● A
number of policies were announced keeping in mind the protection of welfare and
interest of Indians abroad; for example, the 2014 Minimum Referral Wages (MRW).
6. Easing the passport facility:
● The
last three years saw the launch of Head Post Offices as passport centers
enabling thousands more to apply for a passport.
● There
is a dedicated Diaspora Welfare Officer.
WAY FORWARD:
1. Friendly attitude:
● A
friendlier reception at their point of entry is necessary to ensure that
Diaspora members feel welcome upon arrival in India and also fondly recall
their visits.
● Additionally,
simpler procedures for immigration and customs clearances that are marked by
courteous service are crucial.
2. Address the issues of blue-collar workers:
The
following should be put into action as soon as possible to address the issues
facing our blue-collar workers abroad. These include:
● Establishing
a welfare fund for repatriated overseas workers in distress.
● Negotiating
Standard Labour Export Agreements with the host countries.
● Monitoring
and supervision of both the employment contracts and the conditions of our
overseas workers by our Missions.
● Launching
compulsory insurance schemes covering the risks faced by our overseas workers.
3. Parliamentary standing committee:
● The
establishment of a parliamentary standing committee on the Indian diaspora is a
possibility.
● Members
who are interested in issues affecting the Diaspora should be included.
● This
Committee might also serve as a hub for communication with lawmakers from other
nations who are of Indian descent.
4. Use for economic development:
● The
Diaspora can significantly aid India’s tourism industry.
● PIOs
frequently travel back to their home country or to see family.
● Promoting
tourism should receive more attention among PIOs of the second generation.
5. More opportunities for investment:
● There
is the need to further liberalize the economy for the overseas Indian
community.