Odisha hosts Pravasi Bharatiya Divas for the first time, marking Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India and celebrating the Indian diaspora’s contributions
Artwork, cultural festivities, curated temple visits, and exhibitions – Bhubaneswar is making history by hosting the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention, welcoming over 5,000 NRIs and dignitaries from across the globe, reported indianexpress.com.
A Grand Welcome for the Indian Diaspora
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the event at Janata Maidan, with Trinidad and Tobago President Christine Carla Kangaloo joining the ceremony. President Droupadi Murmu attended the valedictory session.
Odisha’s First Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Celebration
For the first time, Odisha is hosting the event, organized by the External Affairs Ministry. The celebration marks Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India on January 9, 1915, and honors the contributions of the overseas Indian community. This year’s theme is “Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat.”
-
City Facelift: Over 100 local artists were commissioned to adorn city walls with traditional and modern art
-
Command Centre: A dedicated helpline (1929) and a central command center have been set up to ensure seamless coordination
-
Transport: Five double-decker buses have been procured for enhanced transportation facilities
-
Tourism: The state has curated a list of 30 spots for attendees, including special darshans at the 12th-century Puri Jagannath Temple
-
Festivals: Musical concerts, flower shows, and tribal exhibitions are part of the city’s offerings
High Security and Smooth Operations
With 90 platoons of state police and 12 companies of CAPF deployed, security, law, and traffic management remain top priorities.
A Boost to Odisha’s Image and Investments
The event is part of the state’s strategy to attract investments and showcase Odisha’s potential. A special session on this theme is planned as part of the convention.
Five Thematic Plenary Sessions
The PBD Convention featured five sessions:
- Diaspora Youth Leadership in a Globalized World
- Stories of Migrant Skills
- Diaspora’s Contributions to Sustainable Development
- Women’s Leadership and Influence – Nari Shakti
- Stories of Culture, Connection, and Belongingness
***********************************************************
Readers
These are extraordinary times. All of us have to rely on high-impact, trustworthy journalism. And this is especially true of the Indian Diaspora. Members of the Indian community overseas cannot be fed with inaccurate news.
Pravasi Samwad is a venture that has no shareholders. It is the result of an impassioned initiative of a handful of Indian journalists spread around the world. We have taken a small step forward with the pledge to provide news with accuracy, free from political and commercial influence. Our aim is to keep you, our readers, informed about developments at ‘home’ and across the world that affect you.
Please help us to keep our journalism independent and free.
In these difficult times, running a news website requires finances. While every contribution, big or small, will make a difference, we request our readers to put us in touch with advertisers worldwide. It will be a great help.
For more information: pravasisamwad00@gmail.com