BHUBANESWAR : The biennial Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention being organised for the first time in Odisha will kickstart from Wednesday, marking the Purvodaya Mission and Act East policy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Highlighting the significance of the three-day event and the spotlight on Odisha at a media conference here on Tuesday, Secretray (CPV&OIA) in the Ministry of External Affairs Arun Kumar Chatterjee said the central government decided to organise the convention in Odisha under its Puvodaya initiative to showcase the potential the state holds in the field of culture, economy and commerce.
“Odisha has been recognised as a leader in various sectors including mining, marine economy, sports, skilled manpower and knowledge economy. With its abundant mineral and other natural resources, the state is also rich in culture, history, religious sites and spiritual heritage. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will provide an opportunity to Odisha to showcase its potential as a key tourism destination,” Chatterjee said.
Responding to a query on the objective of the event, the MEA secretary said that the event serves as a platform to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of more than 35.4 million Indian diaspora in various fields of economics, culture and politics to both India and the host countries.
“The Indian diaspora has emerged as the one of the largest source of remittance in the world. They are the biggest contributor to India’s economy and have an important role to play in Viksit Bharat. The diaspora acts as a living bridge between their motherland and their adopted homeland. Since they are socially, culturally and economically connected with their motherland, the Prime Minister described them as Rashtra Doot (Ambassador) of India,” he added.
PBD convention in Odisha is part of Modi’s Purvodaya Mission: MEA
The PBD offers an opportunity for dialogue between the Indian government and overseas Indians on various policy issues, investment opportunities and community welfare.
Chatterjee said the first day of the convention will be celebrated as the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. On the Thursday, the convention will begin with the inaugural address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will also launch the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special tourist train designed for the Indian diaspora.
This unique initiative is part of the Pravasi Teertha Darshan Yojana aimed at offering diaspora members an opportunity to visit spiritual and cultural destinations across India for a period of three weeks.
Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja said the state government also offers the delegates an opportunity to have a glimpse and feel of its rich cultural heritage embodied in its intrinsic and diverse art forms and different popular festivals by conducting their visits to several places of touristic and cultural attractions near Bhubaneswar, Puri, Cuttack and Jajpur.
The state government has identified 21 tourist spots for this purpose. Arrangements have been made to serve several cuisines of Odisha to the delegates during the course of the next three days.