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Punjab’s token presence at PBD 2025 sparks criticism
Punjab's minimal presence at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2025, with only a small tourism stall and no senior officials, has raised concerns about its engagement with the global Indian diaspora.
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Kanwerdeep Singh of Punjab Tourism at PBD 2025 in Bhubaneshwar / Prabhjot Paul Singh
Punjab's minimal participation in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) 2025, despite its prominent role in the global Indian diaspora, has sparked surprise and disappointment among delegates. Except for a small stall by Punjab Tourism at the venue, delegates attending the bi-annual convention rue the absence of senior officials, including Minister for Non Resident Indians (NRIs), at the biannual event.
“Punjab should have been at the forefront. Even after 18 editions, the State has yet to host a single edition of the PBD. It has been holding meets with NRIs but never done it at the national level. Over the years, its participation, too, has been on the down slide,” observes New York-based journalist Prof Indrajit Saluja.
Though the State government has released full page advertisements in major newspapers and other media channels, it should have sent teams of its senior officials to interact with delegates to woo them to invest in the State, he added.
US Delegates Prof Indrajit Saluja and Manjuri at the Cnvention. / Prabhjot Paul SinghCanberra (Australia)-based Ravinder Sahni maintained that Punjabis are a global community. “I am pleasantly surprised not to find many Punjabi delegates here. Maybe the State Government has other ways and means to reach out to the global Punjabi Diaspora."
“I am into politics and represent Labour party down under,” says Ravinder Sahni while praising arrangements made by the Odisha government for its maiden show.
Others attending the event, like Manjuri from Dallas, also noted that the PBD is a valuable opportunity for members of the diaspora to interact with prominent figures and further strengthen ties with India. Similarly, delegates from Rajasthan emphasized the potential of the PBD in boosting education and rural development initiatives with diaspora support.
Kanwerdeep Singh, a resident of Anandpur Sahib, has been assigned by the Punjab Tourism Corporation to oversee a booth that will be used to encourage delegates to visit Punjab for its religious and heritage sites, as well as to investigate potential for investment in the province.
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