abroad for an indefinite period of time for whatsoever purpose. PIO – Overseas Indians who have claimed the citizenship of another country and have settled there. ( SPIO – Stateless Person of Indian Origin, those citizens who do not have documents to substantiate their origination as Indian. The Indian government recognises the significance of Indian Diaspora, as it has brought economic, financial and global recognition.
These citizens have been away from India but are striving to make India shine on the global arena. In the period after India became free, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru pursued a policy of “active dissociation” from the Indian diaspora. He was concerned about the impact of connecting with and advocating for, this diaspora on the sovereignty of host countries. It was under the regime of Rajiv Gandhi that there was a boost in the diaspora policy.
He offered support at Fiji Indian crisis in . Besides, having realized Indian diaspora as a strategic asset, he took administrative measures to establish the Indian Overseas department in . The policy of reaching out to the Indian diaspora began during the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. During his tenure as the Prime Minister, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was first launched in .
It is to be celebrated on th of January which marks the day when Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa. The government planned to celebrate it annually by holding events including conferring awards on the prominent members of the Indian diaspora. The initiatives undertaken by the Indian government during last two decades has bolstered the role and significance of Indian diasporic community in the development of the country, in addition to attracting global investment, aids and technology. India’s diaspora has sent $ billion back home, retaining its position as the world’s top recipient of remittances.
Tamil Diaspora The Tamil Diaspora refers to the people who emigrated from their native lands in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Sri Lanka. They are spread over fifty countries across the world in South East Asia, Oceania, the Americas and the