Theme for 2019: The theme 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was ‘Role of Indian Diaspora in building New India’.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the event on Tuesday along with his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth, who is also the Chief Guest of the event. Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards will be given by President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday and around 6,000 non-residents of India (NRIs) are expected to take part in the event.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas is a three-day event celebrated once annually. It began this morning in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh with Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs who speechified about celebrating identity and acknowledging hard work of citizens in abroad. “The day is not only about finding your roots but also about being a part of India’s growth story”, said Swaraj.
Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Colonel Rajyawardhan Singh Rathore was also present for the prestigious event and said, “NRIs are the biggest ambassadors of India who have made an identity for themselves in the world.” He included, “Your support is required to make new India and that residents of India can learn a lot from NRI brethren and how they have preserved their native culture and language.”
Challenges:
The Varanasi airport has been decorated with tilak, rangoli and rudraksha to welcome guests from as many as 193 countries. While guests are personally being welcomed with flowers, Varanasi airport struggles to manage the traffic due to limited infrastructure.
