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News of Jan
6, 2007
PM to Inaugurate Diaspora Conclave Sunday
New Delhi, Jan 6
The 5th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the annual conclave of the vast
Indian diaspora that aims to connect the 25 million strong Indian
community spread across 110 countries, will be inaugurated by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh here Sunday.
The inaugural, which will be held at the Vigyan Bhavan convention
centre, will have Singapore Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar, a
person of Indian origin, gracing the occasion as the chief guest.
Around 1,200 delegates from nearly 50 countries have registered for
the three-day event, being organized by the ministry of overseas
Indian affairs in partnership with the Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) and the government of the National Capital Territory
of Delhi.
The 250-member team from the US is the largest delegation, followed
by Malaysia, with 230. From India nearly 200 delegates have
registered.
The gathering is expected to act as a platform for networking
between overseas Indians and their native country.
The focus areas in the event, which has the theme 'Rooting for the
Roots', would be social issues and how Indians abroad can contribute
to India's development. There will be dedicated sessions on
education, healthcare, women, youth and investment.
In all, there will be six plenary sessions and 22 working group
sessions. This year, there will be 175 speakers including 44 from
overseas.
Among the prominent overseas speakers are co-chairman of
Indo-British Partnership Karan Bilimoria, Malaysia's Works Minister
Samy Vellu, management guru C.K. Prahalad, American Association of
Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) president Subramaniam
Balasubramaniam, Mauritius Foreign Minister Madan Murli Dulloo,
Ontario Minister for Small Business and Entrepreneurship Harinder
Takhar and Chicago-based India's Knowledge Commission chairman Sam
Pitroda.
From the Indian side, apart from a host of cabinet ministers
including Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi, Finance
Minister P. Chidambaram and External Affairs Minister Pranab
Mukherjee, there will be West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi,
Tata Sons chairman Ratan Tata, National Commission for Women
chairperson Girija Vyas and former Indian ambassador to the US Abid
Hussain.
The chief ministers of Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana and Maharashtra will
be in attendance at the series of interactive sessions with states
that will be held as part of the event.
Sessions apart, cultural programs are being organized in the evening
on all three days.
This will include an evening on folk dances of India, a dance
performance by Malayali cine actress Shobhana, another by Hindi film
choreographer Shiamak Davar's troupe and a sarod recital by Ustad
Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash.
President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam will address the valedictory session of
the event Jan 9 and confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards on 10
outstanding persons of the diaspora.
IANS
News of Jan
6, 2007
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