Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi on Sunday on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj was also present at the event.
The centre will be dedicated for the welfare of the Indian Diaspora. At the inauguration, the prime minister said "We are inaugurating this Kendra on a significant day of 2nd October. Gandhi ji had left India but the call of the nation brought him back."
He said that the world's keenness to engage with India has grown. In such times, 'fear of unknown' can be an obstacle. But the Indian Diaspora can help overcome this and thus, connecting with the Diaspora is important. "Let us view our Diaspora not only in terms of 'Sankhya' but let us see it as 'Shakti'," he added.
PM Modi said that the idea of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas coined by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and has been continued since his time.
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated in India on January 9 each year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of India. The day commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa in Bombay on 9 January 1915.
