Has Pravasi Bharatiya Divas started losing its sheen?

18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas / X/@MEAIndia

Indian Ministry of External Affairs and the Odisha Government are patting their backs for the "overwhelming success" of the just concluded biannual event for the elite of the Indian Diaspora.
 
The three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held at a specially erected tented township at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, not only saw 27 eminent members of the Indian Diaspora drawn from 24 countries but also witnessed concerted efforts by the NDA government in projecting "Viksit" (developed) Bharat by 2047, the centennial year of its independence.
 
Overall, delegates appreciated the arrangements made for the smooth conduct of the convention. Odisha government put its best foot forward to attract FDI in various areas, particularly mining and tourism.
 
"Focus was rightly more on the projection of India as an emerging economic power but at the same time, the other party in the convention, the Diaspora, was left wondering at its shrinking space in the bilateral convention," commented a numb er of delegates from the USA, Australia, and the UK.
 
They held that the reason for the decreasing participation of delegates from the West or the developed nations was the changing mandate of the convention. Instead, this time, some Asian countries, including Mauritius, Oman, Qatar, UAE, Malaysia, and a few African nations, constituted more than two-thirds of the strength of all delegates.
 
The focus was more on showcasing the country's progress during the present NDA regime in various fields, including technology. It also provided a platform for the Odisha government to showcase the "investment opportunities" it offers in different fields, particularly tourism.
 
It was in 2002 that the then BJP-led NDA government, under the stewardship of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, endorsed the recommendation of the LM Singhvi Committee report, and launched the Pravasi Bharati Divas convention was launched.
 
This mega event was originally planned to act as a bridge between the overseas community and the Union Government, making them partners in the overall development of India as a "new economic" power. It was mandated to provide a platform for the exchange of views on the issues facing the country and its Diaspora worldwide.
 
The delegates feel that, lately, the NDA government has been hijacking the agenda of this mega event by projecting its policies and programs. Issues and problems facing the Diaspora are gradually getting pushed to the periphery. Even individual or institutional achievements of the overseas community are getting marginalized. The only consolatory component of the biannual convention is the felicitation of the elite of the overseas community.
 
In the 2025 PBD 27 such personalities and institutions who have made a mark in community service; business, trade, and industry; science and technology; education and academics; politics; environment; healthcare and medicine; and art, culture, and literature were celebrated by the President, Droupadi Murmu. Some areas, like sports, where members of the Indian Diaspora have made laudable singular and collective achievements, are still to get recognition through Pravasi Samman awards. Of nearly 300 overseas Indians honored till now, not even a single sportsperson figure is on the list.
 
Monologues have replaced dialogues. Even the participation of youth and women, too, has shown a decline. 
 
Lately, leaders in science, technology, research, business, trade, industry, and other areas have started skipping this convention. Even some of the political bigwigs, including the first Great Britain Prime Minister of Indian descent, Rishi Sunak, and the first woman  US Presidential candidate, Kamla Harris, did not find mention in the event designed specifically for the likes of them.
 
Interest in the States, too, has been diminishing in the PBD. In the initial editions, the States celebrated their "days" by showcasing their progress since independence while offering attractive investment opportunities to major industrial, business, financial, hospitality, and tourist industry giants. Instead, the focus now veers on the host State only.
 
Odisha has joined the select band of states that have named a nodal minister as a one-person authority or single window clearance procedure to facilitate investments. The earlier practice of various States putting up unique stalls and making their senior officials available to participating delegates has been discontinued.
 
Though the chief guest at this biannual mega convention is usually a  Head of a state of Indian descent, participation of other overseas politicians of Indian descent has diminished.
 
Many delegates held that the program needs to be revisited and redesigned to meet the rapidly changing requirements of the nearly 36 million strong overseas Indian community. India, they say, remains the single largest source of both skilled and unskilled workforce, and contagious issues related to identity and globalization need to be addressed more aggressively.
 
Some developed nations like the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, acknowledged as top favorite destinations for Indian youth, including students, are making rapid changes to their immigration policies and programs because of which sword of uncertainty and their apprehensions of "deportation" from the countries of their present abode need to be taken up more seriously at the events like PBD.