The republic of India observes Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrated for NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana on 09th January. The motto of celebrating Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is to celebrate the contribution of the NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana community towards the development of the nation. On 09th January 1915, the father of India, Mahatma Gandhi, returned from South Africa to Mumbai; that’s why Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was observed on 09thJanuary. The event is sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Indian Government, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (FICC), the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), and the Ministry of development of the North Eastern region. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is held from 7th to 9th January every other year in a selected state of India. At the events, a forum on issues that concerns the Indian diaspora is organized, and people are awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards. The concept of an overseas citizen of India/NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana was officially launched during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention at Hyderabad on 09th January 2006.
In the year 2014 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was celebrated for NRIs in New Delhi and attended by 1500 delegates from 51 countries. In2014, the Pravasi Bharatiya awards were awarded by President Pranab Mukherjee to the people of the NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana community who are creating a significant impact onthe world. The 11thPravasi Bharatiya Divas was celebrated in Kochi from 7thto 9th January 2013. In the 11thPravasi Bharatiya Divas, the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce was the organizing partner of the event. The guest of honor of the inauguration ceremony was the President of Mauritius Rajkeshwur Purryag, and Canadian Minister Jason Kenny was the first individual of non-Indian heritage who addressed the gathering. The 16thPravasi Bharatiya Divas was held on 21stto 23rd January 2019 in the city of Varanasi.
History of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas as an NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana
Under the chairmanship of L.M. Singhvi, the Government of India set up a high-level committee on the Indian diaspora. The committee under L.M. Singhvi recommended celebrating Pravasi Bharatiya Divas for NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana. On 08th January 2002, the existing Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee received the committee report at a public function at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. Immediately after receiving the report, the Prime Minister announced Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on 09th January 2002. 09th January was chosen as the date to mark the return of the father of India, Mahatma Gandhi, from South Africa to India in 1915.
Mahatma Gandhi was the greatest Pravasi who returned from South Africa to India on 09th January 1915 and led India’s freedom struggle and changed the life of the Indian people forever. In 2003 it came into effect, but in 2015 it was revised and decided to be celebrated once every two years. After revising, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas became a theme-based conference set up annually during the interim period. The 16thPravasi Bharatiya Divas convention was held virtually in New Delhi, and the chosen theme for the event was ‘Contributing to Aatmnirbhar Bharat.’
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was marked by special programs to recognize the contributions of Non-Resident Indians (NRI) and People of Indian Origin (PIO) to celebrate exceptional contributions in their chosen fields. It was a forum to discuss different issues and concerns of the people of the Indian diaspora. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas has been organized every year since the year 2003. The event was sponsored by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and the Confederation of Indian industry.
NRIs in Guyana
Guyana is a South American nation in the northeastern quadrant. Guyana was inhabited by indigenous peoples before European contact, and their name for the place, guiana (“land of water”), was used to give the country its name. Guyana’s current state reflects the country’s colonial heritage, as well as its reactions to it.
The advent of people from Eurasia around 35,000 years ago marked the beginning of Guyana’s history. The Carib and Arawak tribes were formed from these migrants, and they encountered Alonso de Ojeda’s first voyage from Spain near the Essequibo River in 1499. Guyana’s governance was determined by the successive policies of Spanish, French, Dutch, and British immigrants in the subsequent colonial era.
Capital:- Georgetown
Population:- 742,700(2021 Est.)
Official Language:- English
Total Area:- 214,999(Sq Km)
Monetary Unit:- Guyanese dollar (G$)
Currency Exchange Rate:- 1 Rs = 2.69 Guyanaese Dollar
Some geographers consider Guyana to be part of the Caribbean area, which includes the West Indies as well as Guyana, Belize, Suriname, and French Guiana on the continent of South America.
Guyana’s inhabitants, or Guyanese, originate from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, including aboriginal indigenous, often known as Amerindians, and descendants of slaves and contract labourers who worked in the Caribbean sugar industry for different European interests, usually of Indian or African ancestry. East Indians account for 39.8% of the population, Africans for 30.1%, mixed race (mainly Dougla) for 19.9%, and Amerindians for 10.5%.
Guyana is part of the mainland Caribbean, which is part of the historical British West Indies, and is located on the northwestern coast of South America. It is culturally comparable to Suriname and surrounding Caribbean island nations like Trinidad and Tobago, and is a culturally Caribbean country while not being a Caribbean island republic.
Land
The Atlantic Ocean to the north, Suriname to the east (along the Courantyne River), Brazil to the south and southwest, and Venezuela to the west define Guyana’s borders. Guyana is embroiled in colonial-era territorial conflicts with Suriname and Venezuela. Despite the fact that the New River Triangle, a 6,000-square-mile (15,600-square-kilometre) territory in southern Guyana between two tributaries of the Courantyne River, was resolved by a United Nations international tribunal in 2007, Suriname continues to claim it.
Economy of Guyana
The discovery of a huge offshore oil resource in Guyana’s seas around 120 miles from Georgetown in 2015 significantly changed the country’s long-struggling economy. Another 17 oil fields were discovered in Guyana’s Stabroek Block by the end of 2020, with estimates that these discoveries will produce 750,000 barrels of oil per day by 2025. Exxon, which made the finds, formed a cooperation with Guyana and began production in the first field identified in December 2019. The country’s rising quality of life was expected to be boosted by increased oil output, which was expected to promote expansion in other economic sectors.
Cultural life
The national social system was passed down from the British colonial period, when European planters and government officials supervised the bulk of Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese labourers. During colonisation, a nebulous local middle class evolved, consisting of teachers, professionals, and public employees, with a disproportionate number of Chinese and Portuguese. Since independence, the ruling political party’s elite has ascended to the top of Guyana’s social order, replacing the European plantocracy.
Indigenous peoples are still excluded from the country’s social structure, as they were under the British, but their culture, which is unaffected by national politics, is acknowledged as a significant element in Guyanese museum exhibits and an inspiration for local music and art.
What is Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award for an NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana?
The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award for NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana is one of the highest honors conferred to a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) and Person of Indian Origin (PIO) or any organization or institution established or run by a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) or Person of Indian Origin (PIO). The award is awarded to the people who have made a significant contribution to understanding India in foreign countries and who supported India’s cause and concerns in a tangible way.
In the year 2021, the Government of India celebrated 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The event was organized virtually in the wake of increasing COVID-19 cases nationwide. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated to honor the achievements of Non-Resident Indians around the world and is also known as Non-Resident Indian Day. It is celebrated to strengthen the engagement of the NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana community with the Indian Government and reconnect them with their roots and heritage.
Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra for NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana
The committee headed by Shri L.M. Singhvi also recommended that the government should renew and strengthen the linkages of the NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana communities to the place of their origin and with each other. The committee recommended setting up a focal point for networking between India and these NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana communities. The place needs to be suitable, and it should be a place that could commemorate the trials, regulations, evolution, and achievements of the Indian diaspora. In the second Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee considered the recommendation and announced that the government would set up Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi.
On 09th January 2011, the foundation stone of Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra was laid by the existing Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, and finally, in April 2013, the construction of the Kendra was started. Recent Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra on 02nd October on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti in New Delhi. The Kendra is expected to develop into a hub of activities for sustainable, symbiotic, and mutually rewarding economic, social, and cultural engagement between India, the NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana community, and its diaspora. Over time the government is expected to organize activities, events, seminars, and workshops about the Indian diaspora.
The museum constructed inside the Kendra will depict the history of migration of the NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana community and their experience and contributions to foreign countries. In the Kendra state-of-the-art auditorium, the conferences and workshops with NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana will be organized on a regular basis. The Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra was renamed Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in order to tribute to the late leader.
Significance of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas for NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a significant event as the NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana community gets a platform to engage with the Indian Government and the native people of the country. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas has been very successful and helpful in networking among the NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana community residing in various parts of the world. The event enables the NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana community to share their experience and contributions in various fields. It is a platform that allows them to connect with their heritage, roots, and history. It is in conjunction with the return of Mahatma Gandhi, a person who inspired a lot of people all around the globe and who taught the world that you don’t need arms and weapons to bring revolution. The return of Gandhi on 09th January was recognized as an honor, and that’s why the day has great significance. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas have significantly contributed to a better understanding of India abroad.
Initiatives that are taken by the Government of India for NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana
Following are the initiatives that the Indian Government takes for the NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana Community: –
Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PKVY) for NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana
The government has launched Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PKVY) to institutionalize the skill development of immigrant Indian workers residing in foreign countries. The Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana holistically prepares the candidates to confidently take up challenging assignments in various foreign countries and meets all the transnational skill requirements. This program is of great help to blue-collar workers who will get an opportunity to acquire professional skills and will be able to communicate in foreign languages. Besides this, they will also get skills in particular trades. The Ministry of External Affairs started the Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana skill development initiative. The Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Skill Development in Entrepreneurship helped design the memorandum of understanding for implementing the Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana. The scheme’s implementation will be done by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) with its training partners in consultation.
Know India Program (KIP) for NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana
The government organizes the Know India Program (KIP) to familiarise the Indian-origin youth residing outside India with their Indian routes and contemporary India. The Ministry of External Affairs launches the Know India Program (KIP). It is a three-week orientation program for the diaspora youth. The program is conducted with a motive to promote awareness of the different facets of life in India and the progress that the country has made in various fields like science and technology, education, economy, industry, etc. It is a unique forum for students and young professionals of Indian origins. Through this program, they can visit India, share their views, expectations, and experiences, and develop close bonds with contemporary India. Under the Know India Program, the government has organized the Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana (PTDY), an initiative of the Indian government that provides the elder generation people of Indian origin with a chance to reconnect with their roots.
Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty (VAJRA) for NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana
The Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty (VAJRA) scheme was launched to formalize a rotation program where the top Non-Resident Indian scientists, doctors, managers, engineers, and professionals will serve Indian public sector organizations for a short period and will lend their expertise to those organizations. The Visiting Advanced Joint Research faculty is a program exclusively dedicated to academicians and overseas scientists that emphasize Non-Resident Indians and Persons of Indian Origin to work as visiting faculty in Indian public-funded academic institutions for a short period of time. The motto of the scheme is to recognize the value of collaborative research and draw different perspectives to solve the shared problem. The scheme recognizes collaborative research as a crucial element for information sharing between researchers and updating and acquiring knowledge in skills. It welcomes overseas scientists to take up new challenging research problems in the Indian setting.
Scholarship Program for Diaspora Children (SPDC) for NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana
The Scholarship Program for Diaspora Children (SPDC) provides 100 scholarships annually to people of Indian Origin and Non-Resident Indian students for various undergraduate courses. The Scholarship Program for Diaspora Children (SPDC) was introduced in 2006-07. The program’s motto was to make higher education in Indian universities in different fields accessible to the people of Indian Origin and Non-Resident Indians. It promotes India as a center for higher studies. Under the scheme, the students of Indian origin are awarded different types of scholarship, which includes payment of tuition fees, admission fees, hostel charges, and other expenses. Besides food charges, the government pays all the charges mentioned above for undergraduate courses in engineering, humanity, technology, arts, management, journalism, commerce, liberals, agriculture, animal husbandry, and other courses.
E-Migrate for NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana
The Indian government launched the E-migrate system to ensure the welfare and check on the exploitation met by emigrants. It is a type of foreign employee database where the government stores all the data of foreign employees. The e-migrate system was created to regulate overseas employment specifically for less educated blue-collar workers. E-migrate is an integrated program of Passport Seva Projects (PSP), the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Bureau of Immigration of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Every time an immigrant arrives at the airport or cross-checks post to proceed abroad, the passport details of the immigrant are validated online by the officers. The people who already receive the immigration clearance are allowed to travel, and the rest are restricted. It is amazing to ensure the protection against the exploitation of Indian workers. This system functions according to the control of protected general of immigrants.
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Objectives for NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana
Following are the objectives of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas for NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana: –
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated with the motto to connect with the for NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana Community, including Non-Resident Indians (NRI) and People of Indian Origin (PIO).
It is celebrated for creating an for NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana network and connecting with the younger generations.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas provides an open platform to Non-Resident Indians where they can express their vision, concerns, and perceptions about India.
It is a platform to resolve the issues that are faced by the for NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana community.
And lastly, the objective of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is to honor the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) and Person of Indian Origin (PIO) for making a profound and significant contribution to India’s nation-building exercise NRIs in Georgetown, Guyana.
Sum up
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was initiated on 09th January 2003 by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The 09th January has a great significance in history as Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi came to India from South Africa on 09th January 1915. In 2015 the format of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was revised, and now it holds theme-based conferences and is celebrated once in every two years. The flagship event of the ministry of external affairs has successfully organized the 16thPravasi Bharatiya Divas since 2003.
