Transcription
India's story was never meant to stay within its borders. For centuries, its people have journeyed across oceans, chasing opportunity, braving hardship, carrying with them a piece of home. This is the story of India's roots that stretched far and a diaspora that rose to shape the world.
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One country then another and another one after that. The British colonial greed was unending. Their rule rapidly spread across the world and with it the Indian diaspora. A diaspora is the dispersion of people from their homeland and in India this was a legacy of colonial rule. As the British Empire expanded, Indians found themselves in all corners of the world and this happened for different reasons.
In countries like Fiji and Mauritius, Indians were mostly sent as contract laborers. But in countries like Australia and Canada, people traveled looking for better opportunities. Whatever the reason, from the North Atlantic to the South Pacific, Indians were everywhere.
In some places, they were openly accepted and treated mostly fairly like New Zealand. When India became independent in 1947, there were about 1,200 Indians in New Zealand, and they enjoyed what the government at the time called complete equality.
But in several other countries, Indians were openly discriminated against. Australia had about 4,500 Indians at the time. All of them had citizenship rights. They could vote. But they were legally discriminated against. They did not have equal pension or accommodation rights.
Or take the Caribbean for instance. They had a sizable Indian population about 170,000 Indians in Trinidad and a similar number in British Guyana. They were offered full citizenship rights. But Hindus were not allowed to cremate their dead.
So just two months after attaining independence, India decided to change this to not just look after the Indians at home but also those abroad.
>> The constituent assembly held several meetings about this. They came up with an action plan case by case.
>> And one month later, New Delhi quietly spurred change.
>> High commissions engaged with local authorities. They highlighted the prejudice in Commonwealth countries.
>> India spoke up and slowly things began to change.
Cut to today almost eight decades later, the Indian diaspora is not just an asset to the world. It is a force to reckon with. Globally, the Indian origin community stands at 35 million. This is the world's largest diaspora.
Out of this, more than 15 million people are NRIs, non-resident Indians. NRIs are Indian citizens who reside outside India. This could be for work, education or any other reason. NRIs retain their Indian passports. They're considered Indian nationals. So why are they part of the overseas diaspora? That's because of the duration of their stay outside India. In one financial year, if you live outside India for at least 182 days, you're considered an NRI, a non-resident Indian.
Then we have a second category. Earlier it was called PIO, persons of Indian origin. Meaning people of Indian descent who have foreign citizenship. This applied to everyone except nationals of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and a few other countries. In 2015, this category was merged with OCI, Overseas citizens of India. These are foreign citizens eligible for Indian citizenship on or after January 26th, 1950. or a descendant of someone who fits in this category.
Now, initially PIO was applicable for 15 years, but with an OCI card, you get a lifetime validity, also lifelong visa-free travel to India and unlimited stay without registration. Long story short, OCIs are very different from NRIs. NRIs have an Indian passport. They can vote in India. They can hold government jobs. OCIs cannot do any of that. Also, OCI is not dual citizenship. It is simply a privilege introduced as part of India's outreach to the diaspora.
Today about 20 million people are OCI card holders and together with Indian citizens living abroad they make a 35 million strong diaspora. These are people who have shaped global diplomacy, economy and politics and enhanced India soft power.
Today Indians are contributing to the global workforce. They're powering entire industries. Look at the booming tech companies. You will find leaders of Indian origin. Indians are at the helm of massive corporations. They're also shaping policy. People of Indian origin have become leaders of more than 30 other countries. And this is astounding.
Have you heard of the term girmita? This was an agreement made by the British. They transferred indentured laborers from India to other colonies. In the 19th century, the first group of Indians was taken to East Pacific countries and the Caribbean islands. They were taken to work on plantations. The term girmita came from the word agreement. The locals called an agreement a girmid and those who signed it were giritas. It was a shrewd plan to benefit the colonizers. It led to many of these people settling there permanently.
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Generations later, countless families of Indian origin still call these countries home. But today, Indians are not relocating as part of someone else's clever scheme. They are not doing it out of desperation to survive. They are doing it with a determination to thrive.
The US has the largest Indian population in the world. It stands at over 5 million. It's about 1.6% of the country's overall population. And Indian-Americans have proven to be leaders, whether in education or household income. About 77% of them have a bachelor's degree or higher. They're also the top earners among all Asian groups in the US.
Same with Europe. Indians rank as the top immigrant earners in Europe's largest economy, which is Germany. The Indian diaspora is known for well-educated, often well-paid workers primarily in science, technology, engineering, and maths or STEM. And these are just two examples, the US and Germany.
Indians abroad help in boosting the global economy. They're also contributing to the Indian economy. Take remittances for instance. This is the money that members of the diaspora send home. India tops the world in remittances. And this year the number hit a record high. The overseas Indian community transferred $135 billion to India.
Plus, when Indians go abroad, they invite more foreign investment into the country. They engage with other nations. is they foster relationships that help their home country. They maintain the Indian connect.
And while there's so much to celebrate, the Indian diaspora also faces a range of issues. Many conflicts ail the world and Indians who live and work abroad, especially as migrant laborers, are often caught in the crossfire. Thus, many governments have made migration harder, mostly in the west. And even though the Indian diaspora is generally regarded as law-abiding, progressive, and extremely productive, racism persists. Time and again, we hear reports of Hindu temples being vandalized abroad or Indian workers in countries like Ireland being attacked and asked to go back to where they came from.
There are no easy fixes for this and the government knows this. But over time they have boosted preparedness, welfare mechanisms and structured evacuation in times of crisis. From digital portals that address grievances to legal and social protection, there's an effort to shield the diaspora from fraud, land encroachment and so on. There's a range of policies and tax benefits to encourage investment by overseas Indians. There are schemes to ease labor mobility of Indian origin workers. India has labor pacts with at least six countries. There are cultural and educational programs especially for the young to help them stay connected to their roots.
Since taking office in 2014, Prime Minister Modi has personally engaged with the diaspora in all parts of the world. Everywhere he travels, he meets people of the Indian community and invests in this relationship.
[Applause]
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The Indian diaspora is no longer seen as brain drain. They're seen as India's global ambassadors who represent the values, culture and heritage of their home country on the world stage. So much so that we now have a day dedicated to them. The Praasi Bhartya Das. This event was first held in 2003 to mark the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's return from South Africa in 1915. Since then it is held every year for the ambassadors of the world to celebrate their contribution to the growth of India and the world and most importantly to form a community of people to help understand their challenges and to harness their collective power.
And so the story of the Indian diaspora is not just about movement. It's about resilience. It's about rising beyond borders. From indentured laborers on plantations to presidents, CEOs and change makers, they've carried India with them in values, in culture, and in spirit.
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[Applause]
And today as they shape the world they continue to strengthen their bond with India because no matter how far they go they're never too far from home.
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