If there is one issue on
which all political parties agree, it is the imperative to include overseas
Indians in India’s economic development and to take care of their needs and
aspirations. Successive governments have been vying(compete,प्रतिस्पर्धा) with each other to give
more and more concessions to them as acknowledgment of their contribution by
way of remittances, investment, lobbying for India, promoting Indian culture
abroad and for building a good image of India by their intelligence and
industry.
India was initially
sensitive to the view that championing the cause of overseas Indians might
offend the host countries, who should be fully responsible for their welfare
and security. The Indian community and our diplomatic missions interacted on
national days or other important occasions, but diaspora diplomacy was low key.
Rediscovering Indians abroad
Rajiv Gandhi was the
first Prime Minister who changed the diaspora policy by inviting Indians abroad,
regardless of their nationality, to participate in nation-building, much like
the overseas Chinese communities. In return, he promised them opportunities to
work with India, like in the celebrated case of Sam Pitroda, who was entrusted
with the task of modernising telecommunications in India. The response was not ecstatic(joyful,उन्मादपूर्ण), but many volunteered to
help out in various ways. But this brought to focus the many inadequacies(insufficiency,अपर्याप्तता) of the Indian system for
the diaspora to collaborate with India or to invest in the country. Grievances
like red tape, multiple clearances, distrust of government in fulfilling
promises were addressed through hesitant reforms and promotional measures.
The first test of the new
diaspora policy came in 1987 when Sitiveni Rabuka ousted an Fiji Indian
majority government in Fiji and reduced them to second-class citizens. Rajiv
Gandhi, in a major departure from established policy, protested vehemently(forcefully,प्रबल), imposed trade sanctions
against Fiji, got it expelled(throw,निष्काशित) from the Commonwealth
and raised the issue at the United Nations. This bewildered(confused,व्यग्र) those Fiji Indians who
did not want to disturb the race relations in Fiji, but energised the Indian
diaspora, generating faith in them that India would not be a silent witness, as
it was in the past, to discrimination(unfair treatment,भेदभाव), racism and
disenfranchisement of Indians abroad. The Indian position was instrumental in
democracy and racial harmony returning to Fiji after 10 years.
After India and the
overseas Indians rediscovered each other under Rajiv Gandhi, there came a host
of measures such as a separate Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, the Person
of Indian Origin (PIO) Card, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
Award, Overseas Citizen of India Card, NRI funds and voting rights for Indian
citizens abroad, some from the United Progressive Alliance and some from the
National Democratic Alliance governments. The response from the diaspora was
diverse, as these affected different categories of Indians in different ways.
For the Indian nationals in the Gulf and elsewhere, welfare measures and
resettlement facilities were more important, while the prosperous communities
in the West, who were clamouring(loud demand,जोरदार मांग) for dual citizenship,
felt short-changed. But, on the whole, they were energised into espousing(support,समर्थन) Indian causes in the
U.S. Of course, their support to Indian interests was not automatic and they
often urged(forced,जोर डालना) India to modify its policies to suit
American sensitivities. Indian-Americans contributed little by way of
remittances or investments, but the establishment of the India Caucus in the
House of Representatives and turning around doubting legislators into voting
for the India-U.S. nuclear deal were major accomplishments.
The Modi outreach
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi made the diaspora a centrepiece of his foreign policy and, during his
foreign visits, addressed mammoth(large,बड़ी) meetings of the
community to project India’s priorities and needs. But he did not address any
of their demands or announce any new plans for removing their grievances like
travel issues and protection of their properties in India. If anything, the
merger of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs with the Ministry of External
Affairs, though pragmatic(practical,अनुभवजन्य), has been construed as a negative step.
The irregularity of diaspora conferences and awards has also caused some
concern in the diaspora.
Together with the new
hopes and expectations raised by the government, there are new fears and
concerns among and about the overseas communities. The volatility(unpredictability.अस्थिरता) in West Asia, together with the fall in
oil prices, has caused fears of a massive return of Indian nationals, curtailing(control,नियंत्रण) remittances and making
demands on the job market. In Kerala, for instance, workers from other States
have bridged the demand-supply gap in various sectors. The Gulf countries will
require foreign workers for some more time, but India’s relations with many of
them remain in the employer-employee mode. Of course, it was heartening to see
Saudi Arabia resolve a serious issue relating to a starvation among Indian
workers, but we should be ready for the eventuality of Indian workers
returning, though a massive “Indexit” is unlikely.
A recent phenomenon is
that of “discovering” Indians wherever there is a crisis. India does not have
any precise(clear,स्पष्ठ) data on the number of Indians in different
parts of the world. The amount of risks that Indians are capable of taking to
get medical education, for instance, is phenomenal. Whether it is in Ukraine,
Yemen or Syria, Indians are discovered eking out(fill out,निर्वाह
करना)
an existence in difficult circumstances. General V.K. Singh (retd.), Minister
of State for External Affairs, has become virtually the Chief Repatriation
Officer, flying into hotspots with chartered flights to rescue Indians and
bring them home. He was often bewildered when many Indians refused to use the
facility for return and insisted on staying on in difficult situations either
to seek alternative jobs or to settle their claims. Back home, disquiet has
been expressed that public money is being spent on bringing people who have
gone on their own for their benefit.
Even more serious is the
suspicion that some Indians are travelling to the Islamic State areas either to
join the jihad or to settle there in what is considered a Promised Land.
Adventurism of this kind needs to be stopped. We used to take pride in the fact
that Indians never joined terrorist organisations, but the latest trends are
very disturbing.
The dilemma(confusion,दुविधा) for India is whether
movements of Indians abroad for education or employment should be curbed. This
will be against the spirit of freedom; but there should be at least an accurate
count of Indians in different countries and projections should be made of
future prospects. States must be prepared with plans for rehabilitation of
Indians, with the possibility of offering the same kind of jobs they were doing
abroad. Asking them to turn into entrepreneurs overnight would be
counterproductive. There should also be a clear division of labour between the
Central and the State governments in crisis situations.
The Indian diaspora is
more prosperous than before and its involvement in India’s development is
increasing. Indians overseas are conscious of their opportunities in India. At
the same time, new fears about scaled-up return of Indians or their involvement
in global terrorism are raising their heads. Firefighting is not enough. We
should have a comprehensive plan involving both the Centre and States to invest
remittances intelligently and to find alternative ways of livelihood for those
who return.
courtesy:the hindu
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