Govt to intensify PIOs' registration

Dual citizenship registration for the People of Indian Origin (PIOs) in at least 16 countries has been allowed from November 2004 and the process is expected to continue, according to Overseas Indians Affairs Minister Jagdish Tytler.

These countries include Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, the Republic of Cyprus, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the US. Indian missions in these countries have been giving out forms for the same since November.

Tytler, also announced that the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman would be accorded during the upcoming Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in Mumbai this month.

Telecom industry expert Sam Pitroda and economist Jagdish Bhagwati and film-maker Manoj Night Shyamanalan (all from the US), the UK-based novelist Vikram Seth are among the 15 distinguished awardees.

Other awardees include Amina Cachalia from South Africa for public affairs, Alokeranjan Dasgupta from Germany for literature, Lord Bhikhu Chhotalal Parekh from the UK for political studies and Sant Singh Virmani from the Philippines for agricultural science.

Prime minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Mumbai on January 7 and President APJ Abdul Kalam will confer the awards at the valedictory session on January 9.

Tytler said owing to the tsunami tragedy, all the celebration elements like cultural programmes, entertainment functions and "thanks giving" dinner had been cancelled.

Instead a special panel discussion on disaster relief and contribution of the overseas Indians had been made part of the programme, the minister said.

Tytler said a large number of overseas delegates had come out with offers to contribute to the Indian government's efforts to rehabilitate the tsunami victims.

The ministry was making all out efforts to use this opportunity to build a global Indian family and strengthen bonds with the Diaspora by involving them in rehabilitation and reconstruction work, he said.

Over 1,900 delegates, including 1,400 overseas Indians from 60 countries, are taking part in the meet, which has been structured this year in a "very focused and business-like manner," the minister said.

Tytler, who heads the newly created ministry has just received the presidential notification of his field of functioning. Special economic zones for the non-resident Indian (NRIs) in India would be one of his priorities and that was one of the reasons why this particular meet would be a departure from previous ones, in that it would focus on business, the minister said.

New initiatives for the Diaspora, education, science and technology, healthcare, hydrocarbon research and development, voluntary sector and government, entertainment, tourism, infrastructure and knowledge-based industry and related issues would be taken up during the meet, he said.

He indicated that the Prime Minister could make some announcements for the benefit of the PIOs and the NRIs during the festival.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas was initiated by the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government who actively wooed the Indian Diaspora. The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government by creating a ministry solely devoted to their welfare is trying to be one up on them.

While the shadow of the tsunami devastation looms large over the meet, it will be an interesting event to watch.