New Delhi must grant dual citizenship to its diaspora |
The 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention kicks off today in Varanasi. Nearly 6,000 overseas delegates are flocking to the holy city to celebrate their Indian connection for three days. This is a good time to look at the evolving relationship between India and its 31.2 million diaspora living in 208 countries across the globe. About 70% of them live in nine countries, the US being home to 4.46 million, followed by Saudi Arabia (4 million), Malaysia (2.4 million), and the United Arad Emirates (2.8 million). The migration of Indians is at least 2,000 years old, and began during emperor Kanishka`s reign (first century AD). In 1834, the British began exporting bonded labour from India to Mauritius and its other colonies. Known as the old diaspora, these overseas citizens of India (OCIs) number about 18 million, and are citizens of the countries they live in. The remaining 13.2 million are those who migrated from the mid-1960s. Most of them retain their Indian citizenship, and are called non-resident Indians (NRIs). How`s the diaspora faring? Quite well, actually! 28 of them have gone on to become heads of state or government in 11 countries. Pravin Jugnauth (Mauritius), Mahathir Mohamad (Malaysia), António Costa (Portugal), and Leo Varadkar (Ireland) are among them. Dozens with Indian roots are and have, in the past, been ministers, more than 130 are parliamentarians, and a score are mayors in over two dozen countries.
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