Recalling the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers in protecting foreign lands in the two World Wars, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the world must recognise their sacrifice.
Mr. Modi, who inaugurated the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra here, said the Indian diaspora should be looked at not just in terms of its numbers, but also in terms of its strength.
“For years the term ‘brain drain’ has been in vogue. But if we look at the diaspora as our strength, we can convert this into ‘brain gain’, he said. “Mahatma Gandhi had left India, but the call of the nation brought him back,” he said.
Fear of the unknown
He said that at a time when the world was keen to engage with India, the “fear of the unknown” could be the biggest obstacle, which the Indian diaspora could help overcome.
Emphasising the importance of connecting with the diaspora, Mr. Modi, said the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had initiated the concept of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which had been continued by successive governments that came to power.
He said that India, and especially the Ministry of External Affairs, had done significant humanitarian work in the last two years.
Not just Indians but citizens of many other countries had been rescued from conflict and disaster situations, the Prime Minister said.
Mr. Modi also visited the exhibition on “Gandhi — Ek Pravasi.”
He launched a booklet on Yoga protocol for the control of diabetes, and also distributed prizes to the winners of the ‘Know India’ Quiz on the occasion.
