The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Indian diaspora identifies key sectors for investments

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Thursday, Jan 08, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Indian diaspora identifies key sectors for investments

Special Correspondent

They include microfinance, education and healthcare

CHENNAI: Microfinance, education and healthcare are among the key sectors identified for investments by the Indian diaspora, which met up for the 2009 convention of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin on Wednesday.

Participants at a session on the investment options for the diaspora also accorded importance to investing in the booming media entertainment industry and charity, Americai V. Narayanan, convenor of the global event in Chennai, told The Hindu. People of Indian origin in places as far apart as South East Asia and the Caribbean isles are participating in the convention.

One of the foremost concerns among the diaspora was the mental trauma among several young children who faced adjustment problems in a foreign land. Depression was getting increasingly common in children, who could not jell with the cultural mores of another land, delegates said. The problem was more acute in children who grew up in their native land for the first few years of their life before they were taken to another place. Such children required special counselling and support to help them cope with the social mores of a foreign country. They also needed mentoring in learning to accept and respect the traditions of a foreign land.

At the same time, it was important to educate children living abroad about the value system of their motherland

Delegates voted overwhelmingly in favour of floating an NRI Parents’ Association to take up issues and also demanded representation of People of Indian Origin in government-designated panels to frame legislation that affected overseas Indians.

The other common issue was the “empty nest syndrome,” that traumatised ageing parents staying far away from their children.

NRI communities decided to network more frequently to help people in distress.

Former Chief Election Commissioner T. S. Krishnamoorthy, who chaired one of the sessions, advocated representation of a person nominated by overseas Indians in the Lok Sabha. This would require an amendment to the Representation of the People Act.

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