Prime Minister urges Indian Diaspora to take a ‘Pilgrimage’ to the ‘New creative India’

Identifying education and business as areas of reconnecting with the Indian Diaspora, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on November 26 invited them to undertake a “pilgrimage” to the “new creative India” and be active partners of the country’s development and progress by making use of investment and business opportunities. Addressing a reception for the Indian community in Port of Spain, Dr. Singh said that India was on the move, and was reaching out to the world with confidence in a spirit of ‘live and let live’.

Excerpts from his speech: “When I meet the people of Indian origin around the world, I celebrate our pluralism as much as I celebrate our great civilisational inheritance. Indianness is like a large and all-encompassing banyan tree. It offers shade to everyone who comes in search of it. It has deep roots at home and branches that in turn go to great distances and strike roots there.

“Today’s India is on the move, just as the people of Indian origin are on the move. India is reaching out to the world with confidence and in a spirit of live and let live.In reaching out to the People of Indian Origin, we are also reaching out to the world at large. You are, for millions of Indians, the most visible and dynamic symbol of our own globalisation process. “It is often said that the 21st century will be the “knowledge century”. We in India are proud of our inheritance in this respect. Overseas Indians have played an extremely important role in global brand building for this purpose. If India is today viewed as a “knowledge economy”, it is because of the reputation that people of Indian origin worldwide have earned through their creativity, their adventure, enterprise and diligence.

“I know many of your children wish to experience the new India, having heard about an old India from their parents and grand parents. I want all those people of Indian origin who have never been to India to make apilgrimage and discover the new India that is in the making. “I invite you to make use of the investment and business opportunities that India now offers. I invite you to be active partners of a new India and walk with us in finding new pathways of development and progress. I invite you to feel the love and affection of Mother India and feel the warmth of her embrace.

“Education and business are the two major arenas through which we are reconnecting with people of Indian origin worldwide. But the cornerstone of our interaction remains our shared culture — both ancient and modern. I would like to see that children of people of Indian origin get opportunities wherever they are living to learn classical Indian dance and music.”

India to act against irregular migration:
Vayalar Ravi

The Indian government is trying to stop illegal migration by targeting the “nefarious activities of Indian intermediaries” in other countries, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said in New Delhi on November 26.

“We are taking legislative and administrative measures to deal firmly with irregular migration,” Mr. Ravi said at a meeting with the heads of Indian missions to countries with a large Indian worker population like Libya, Malaysia, Yemen, the Maldives and the Gulf.

“One of the reasons for irregular migration is the nefarious activities of Indian intermediaries from the host countries. I have written to our missions in this regard in the past,” he said. Mr. Ravi said he wanted the missions to “go after such unscrupulous elements, collect intelligence and share information with the Indian enforcement agencies so that they could be prosecuted under Indian law”. He said the External Affairs Ministry was already “taking proactive action to impound their passports if information regarding pending criminal cases against them is furnished”.

The Minister said if there was coordinated action between the missions and the state governments, it would go a long way in combating irregular migration. The Minister also expressed concern about the welfare of migrants after they returned to India and said he was working towards establishing a Return and Resettlement Fund. The new Fund, he suggested, could be a contribution-based scheme to provide incentives for the return of overseas workers. Mr. Ravi also asked missions to work on schemes for insurance of overseas workers. The Ministry already has a Pravasi Bima Yojana which all migrants have to join to qualify for an emigration check required stamp on their passports.

However, several embassies have also come up with their own specific insurance schemes. For example, the Indian mission in Kuwait has made it mandatory for employers to sponsor an insurance scheme for their workers before they are given approval by the Indian embassy. The premium is only about 13 Kuwaiti dinars, with a payment of about 2,000 dinars in case of natural or accidental death. “We have left it to the missions to decide on what kind of insurance scheme they want to operate,” Mr. Ravi said.

India promises first ‘Green’ Games
New Delhi, The Financial Express

The Chairman of Organising Committee, Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi, Shri Suresh Kalmadi handing over the Baton to the Chairman, Commonwealth Games England, Sir Andrew Foster, in, London

Blending sport with the threat of climate change, India on November 28 said it will hold the first-ever Green Commonwealth Games in 2010 and the best-ever sporting show, and underlined that the event will propel New Delhi to a world-class city. Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the organising committee of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, made the remarks at a sports breakfast that the leaders and sports ministers of former British colonies attended.

The breakfast was held at the seaside Hotel Hyatt, where most of the world leaders participating in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting stayed. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Kalmadi reaffirmed India’s commitment to holding the best-ever Commonwealth Games and a unique event that would have environment and climate as its focus.

“We will hold the best-ever Commonwealth Games and the first green Commonwealth Games,” Mr. Kalmadi said. “Environment today is a critical component. Recognising this, we will strive towards reducing the carbon footprint to hold the first-ever Green Commonwealth Games and thus become the benchmark for all multidisciplinary games in the future,” Mr. Kalmadi said at the sports breakfast. “India will invest in green infrastructure, pro-active waste management, greening and green ceremonies,” Mr. Kalmadi said.

Outlining the detailed preparations for the Games and its expected spinoff for the Indian economy, Mr. Kalmadi said the mega sporting event will generate nearly $4.5 billion for India in the 2008-2012 period.

Commonwealth can lead again, says Queen Elizabeth

The Commonwealth has an opportunity to lead once more, this time in the fight against climate change, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II said as she opened the summit of the 53-nation group, ahead of the UN Copenhagen summit on climate change this month. The Commonwealth can be proud of the fact that in each of the last six decades, it has shaped the international response to emerging global challenges, the Queen — titular head of the group — said at the opening ceremony on November 27. The Queen said that the threat to the environment was not a new concern.

“But it is now a global challenge which will continue to affect security and stability for years to come. Many of those affected are among the most vulnerable, and many of the people least able to withstand the adverse effects of climate change live in the Commonwealth.” She observed that a second area of opportunity for the Commonwealth was nurturing its young people.

“As with environmental challenges, this area is not new. But while the Commonwealth may rightly celebrate reaching its 60th anniversary, the future must show that it is relevant to and supportive of our young people who need to be convinced that the Commonwealth can help them realise their ambitions,” she added.

Bikaner Camel Festival in New Year

Bikaner in Rajasthan will host the Camel Festival from December 30, 2009 to January 1, 2010. This lively and colourful event is organised by Rajasthan Tourism. The Camel Festival begins with a colourful procession of bedecked camels against the red sandstone backdrop of the Junagarh Fort, festivities advance to the open sand-spreads of the grounds, followed by the best breed competition, the tug-of-war contest, camel dance, acrobatics, etc.

AirAsia chief executive officer Tony Fernandes, whose father hails from Goa, has been named the Airline CEO of the Year (2009) by Jane’s Transport Finance magazine in London. Born in Kuala Lumpur to a Goan father and Malacca Portuguese mother, Mr. Fernandes, 45, is the pioneer of budget airline who influenced the country’s open sky aviation policy. Jane’s, a Britain-based publication which is a provider of market intelligence and integrated solutions to the transport, defence and security sectors in over 180 nations, gives annual awards to outstanding achievers in the airline, airport, rail, road and shipping sectors. “The award recognises Fernandes’ vision and AirAsia’s success in the toughest airline market in decades,” the publication said. Fernandes attributed his win to his workforce of 6,500 employees and the airline’s culture of innovation. “We have grown AirAsia together, with everybody pitching in with ideas,” Mr. Fernandes said.