Cover Story

Man who knows
the larger India

Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, unknown till yesterday and non-existent only five years ago, certainly received a shot in the arm with Vayalar Ravi at the helm of the affairs. He linked 2.5 million Indian diaspora to the mainland offering them the opportunity to seamlessly travel between India and their adopted country for both business and pleasure.

SARAT C DAS

Seventy-two year old Vayalar Ravi’s antecedent as a Congress loyalist is probably as deep rooted as K. Karunakaran, one of the Kerala’s best known politicians. However, in the Congress leadership at New Delhi, it was Vayalar Ravi who is always overwhelmingly preferred for any assignment at the centre probably due to his founding of the Kerala Students' Union (KSU), the students' wing of Indian National Congress in Kerala which disengaged the Communist voters in favor of Congress at the grassroot level. Also, after A K Antony was elected to power in 2001, Karunakaran was on the warpath with the Government led by his own party and the party high command, thus Congress leadership found Vayalar Ravi more trustworthy like A K Antony.

Ravi currently the Union Cabinet Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs and a member of the Rajya Sabha, was born in Vayalar, Alappuzha District of Kerala. Ravi was elected to the 5th Lok Sabha in 1971 from Chirayinkil in Thiruvanathapuram district; and he was re-elected to the 6th Lok Sabha in 1977, serving until 1979. At that point he felt that probably he would be more effective in public service as Legislative Assembly member than Lok Sabha member. He was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1982, and he served as Home Minister of Kerala from 1982 to 1986 before resigning from that position due to a disagreement with Chief Minister K. Karunakaran. Again he was re-elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1987, serving until 1991. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in July 1994 and again in April 2003. He became Union Cabinet Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs on January 30, 2006.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

Ravi’s ministry is popularly known for its mega event “Pravasi Bharatiya Divas” which the Government of India recognizes the first week of January (Hindi: Pravasi - Non-resident or diaspora, Bharatiya - Indian, Divas - day). The occasion is marked by special programs to recognize the contributions of NRI/PIO individuals of exceptional merit, felicitate NRI/PIO (Persons of Indian Origin) individuals who have made exceptional contribution in their chosen field (Pravasi Bharatiya Samman and provide a forum to discuss issues and concerns that people of the diaspora. The forum is likely to touch upon the life of over 25 million overseas Indians spreading over 130 countries (this includes non-resident Indians, that is, Indian citizens residing abroad and persons of Indian origin who have acquired citizenship of some other country).

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2008, the sixth in the series, was focused on involving the overseas Indian community in India’s development, and promoting their interaction in social issues. The overarching theme for the event was ‘Engaging the Diaspora: the way forward’. The event launched a helpline as part of the Overseas Workers Resource Center, which was made available to Indians working overseas in times of distress. Also the event unveiled a model of the proposed building for a Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, a center for research and policy in the study of the Indian diaspora. Through the event Ravi aimed at strengthening the two-way partnership between PIO living abroad and India. “This year’s PBD stressed engagement in social development issues such as education and health,” he said. A unique session on partnership opportunities with the states had five Chief Ministers and two industry ministers representing their respective states, each of them highlighting the prevailing business environment and the initiatives taken to promote economic and social development in their respective state. This enabled delegates to have an overview with regional perspectives, and the potential routes for engagement.

Concurrent sessions highlighted particular dimensions of engagement with India, centering on expanding India’s emerging knowledge economy, building networks for culture and mitigating challenges to leadership roles for women. Eminent personalities from all walks of life from India as well as from overseas brought new perspectives on jointly addressing the issues, with an emphasis on using technology for overcoming barriers. Regional matters were the topic of discussion in the Regional Sessions which covered the Indian diaspora residing in different parts of the globe. It was reiterated that engagement of the overseas Indian community with India carried diverse dimensions related to the countries of residence. “Both sides have a lot to give each other, and at the same time, each needs actions from the other and thus a two-way process of engagement is necessary,” said Ravi. The event was so successful, it enabled the overseas Indian residents to actively participate in health, education, infrastructure business in India. “We are making use of the multiple forums being instituted by the Government to facilitate our participation,” said NRI investor adding, ”We are looking forward to the materialization of institutions such as OIFC, the PIO University and the proposed India Development Foundation to facilitate further investment.”