Bhubaneswar: The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention will kick off in Bhubaneswar Wednesday with the Odisha government leaving no stone unturned to showcase the state’s rich culture and heritage in front of the NRIs who are coming here from 50 countries.
The convention will begin with the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas event being organised by the Odisha government in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, officials said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in the inaugural session Thursday, while President Droupadi Murmu will preside over the valedictory session Friday, they said.
Murmu will also confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman upon members of the Indian diaspora to recognise their achievements in various fields.
Trinidad and Tobago President Christine Carla Kangaloo is the chief guest of this edition, which is being held on the theme ‘Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat’. She will address the convention virtually.
Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja said 21 destinations in Bhubaneswar, Puri and Jajpur have been selected, and the delegates would be taken to there.
Over 5,000 delegates are expected to attend the convention.
“Each delegate of the convention will play the role of an ambassador of Odisha tourism and we are hopeful that the state’s rich culture and heritage will fetch tourists from different countries,” he said.
Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (CPV & OIA) Arun Kumar Chatterjee said the Indian diaspora is working as the “living bridge” between the country where they stayed or worked and their motherland.
“The Indian diaspora has emerged as one of the largest sources of remittance in the world. The Indian diaspora stands at 35.4 million, including 19.5 million Persons of Indian Origins (PIOs) and 15.8 million NRIs. This diaspora that we have is one of our biggest strengths,” he said.
“The diaspora could effectively contribute to the growth of Odisha’s tourism, which remained untapped so far. The state has a lot to offer to international tourists,” he added.
Chatterjee said the US has the highest number of PIOs, at over 2 million, and the UAE has the highest number of NRIs, at over 3.5 million.
“They play a major role in promoting the Indian culture abroad and the Government of India encourages them to work with our Indian missions along with our ambassadors,” he said.
On the Odisha hosting the 18th edition of the convention, Chatterjee said the Centre has been focusing on the development of eastern India under the initiative of ‘Purvadoy’.
PM Modi will also remotely flag off the inaugural Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special tourist train for the diaspora, which will depart from the Nizamuddin station in Delhi and travel to multiple destinations for three weeks.
He will also inaugurate four exhibitions at the convention — on the legacy of Ramayana, the diaspora’s contribution to technology and ‘Viksit Bharat’, the evolution of the Indian diaspora with a focus on ‘Mandvi to Muscat’, and the heritage and culture of Odisha.
The convention will have five thematic plenary sessions, such as ‘Beyond Borders: Diaspora Youth Leadership in a Globalised World’,
‘Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers: Stories of Migrant Skills’, ‘Green Connections: Diaspora’s Contributions to Sustainable Development’,
‘Diaspora Divas: Celebrating Women’s Leadership and Influence – Nari Shakti’, and ‘Diaspora Dialogues: Stories of Culture, Connection and Belongingness’.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is in the state to take part in the convention, visited a number of shrines during the day. Among them were the Jagannath temple in Puri, Sun temple at Konark, Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar and Dhauli Peace Pagoda.
He also visited the Raghurajpur Art Village.
“I am blessed to have ‘darshan’ of the Lord Jagannath before the beginning of the convention in Bhubaneswar. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is being organised in Odisha for the first time. We have made all arrangements along with the Odisha government. This is an opportunity for Odisha to showcase itself before the world and get a place on the global map,” Jaishankar said.
The state government has lined up several programmes for the guests visiting the state for the convention.
Among them are the Rajarani Music Festival, International Odissi Dance Festival, and Food Festival, the chief secretary said.
The state government has also organised the annual Adivasi Mela in Bhubaneswar, Bird Festival in Chilika, Flower Show in Bhubaneswar, Beach Festival in Puri, and light and sound shows at Dhauli and Konark, besides the Desiya Folk Dance and Music Fest.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi urged the people to ensure that the visiting guests feel at home in Odisha, and return to their respective countries with a good experience.
The state government also appealed to the residents of Bhubaneswar to decorate their houses as they do during the Diwali celebration. Shop owners, markets and shopping malls were also asked to put up decorative lights.
Security has been beefed up across the state capital for the three-day convention.
Around 2,700 police personnel along with 1,200 central forces personnel will be deployed in Bhubaneswar for security and traffic management, a senior officer said.
The last edition of the annual convention was held in Indore in Madhya Pradesh.
PTI
