Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: PM Modi Invokes Buddha, Stresses India's Role As Global Peacemaker

PM Modi at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas asserts India's global influence, promoting peace over war, and calls diaspora key to India's development by 2047.

Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the pacifist ideology of Lord Buddha and emphasised India's role as a global peacemaker at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in Bhubaneswar on Thursday, saying the world today listens to India due to the country's stress towards creating a better world order and its projection of age-old civilisational values which convinced the international community that the future does not lie in war but in Shakyamuni.

"Due to the strength of its heritage, India can tell the world that the future does not lie in war, but in Buddha (peace)," he said. Modi said he has always considered the diaspora as India's ambassador to the countries they live in.

In his speech, he highlighted how the diaspora's presence in India during times of festivities in the country gives them a chance to connect closer to India and lauded their value systems for seamlessly integrating with the world and at the same time carrying Indian ethos forward.

Referring to the diaspora as "Rashtradoot", PM Modi expressed pleasure in how happy he is to meet them abroad. "I cannot forget your love and blessings. They stay with me", he said. He thanked the diaspora for their rich value systems and said that because of this that world leaders always praise the diaspora.

The Prime Minister said it is because of their ethos the diaspora, "connects with the society, respects rules and traditions, serves the countries honestly, and contributes to their growth and prosperity, and still has India beating in their hearts". PM Modi highlighted India's rapid progress in the 21st century, emphasising the country's potential to meet the global demand for skilled talent.

PM Modi during his address also asserted that the Indian government considers it their "responsibility to help the diaspora during crises." He said, "21st century India is progressing at an incredible speed and scale. For many decades to come, India will remain a country with the world's most young and skilled population. India will fulfil the world's demand for skilled talent India has the potential to fulfil the world's demand for skilled talent."

He continued, "I feel very happy when I meet you all. I never forget the love and blessings I have received from you all. Today, I also want to thank you all, because of you, I get a chance to hold my head high. In the last 10 years, I have met many world leaders and they all appreciate the Indian diaspora in their respective countries. One big reason behind this is the social values you carry."

PM Modi said India is not only the mother of democracy, but democracy is a part of people's lives here. He said the world today listens to India, which not only presents its views strongly but also those of the Global South.

Emphasis on promoting 'Made in India' products

He stressed the need to spread the idea of 'Made in India' to concretise the goal of promoting products made by Indian workers. "I appeal diaspora to highlight the use and promote Made in India products which speak of the emblem of our worker's exquisite craftsmanship. Please consider that the onus lies with you and me to spread the word," the PM said. He acknowledged the role of the diaspora in Independence in 1947 and sought their help to make India a developed country by 2047.

"The government is trying to ensure that whenever Indian youths go abroad, they go with skills," Modi said, noting the demand for skilled workers across the world. He said G20 meetings were organised in various parts of the country to give the world a first-hand experience of India's diversity. "We don't need to learn diversity because our lives run through diversity," he added.

The 18 th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), a flagship event of the government that provides an important platform to connect and engage with the Indian diaspora and enable them to interact with each other, which is being organised in partnership with the Odisha government concludes on Friday.