ARSP Bulletin Mar-2021
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Vol. 34 No. 3 MARCH, 2021 (16 Pages including Cover) Jh ckys'oj vxzoky tUe 'krkCnh ds volj ij Importance of the PIO (A Historical Perspective) The history of Indian Diaspora is indentured workers went to South population have unique in many respects. Only the Africa, Fiji, Guyana, Trinidad & responded to - Baleshwar Agrawal Jewish and the Chinese Diaspora Tobago, Suriname and plantation our invitation to present papers on the could be compared with the Indian workers went to Mauritius, Burma and work done in different areas of their Diaspora. India has recorded history Sri Lanka. countries. It is a matter of pride and of 5000 years during which period, the honour that the people of Indian origin During the last 60-70 years saints and seers of the country went to are Prime Minister in Mauritius, Fiji, professionals from India, especially all the four continents of the world to Trinidad & Tobago. The Presidents of doctors, engineers, professors, spread their message of universal Guyana, Singapore and Mauritius are scientists have been going to various brotherhood and tolerance. Emperor also from the same stock. There are countries, particularly to the USA, Ashoka in particular had sent his son 68 ministers and about 300 members Canada, U.K. and Europe. They have and daughter to spread the message of parliament from among the people also gone to Australia and New of Buddha. The Indian traders used to of Indian origin. Their forefathers went Zealand. The Gulf countries attracted travel to far off countries with their in very difficult conditions; they worked a large number of Indian workers merchandise. European markets hard and made their way up by under contract schemes. According to were full of goods from India; muslin of winning the confidence of the people. a rough estimate, the total population Dhaka and the spices of India are well Today, they hold important positions in of the people of Indian origin outside known. all professions and administration. India is about 20 million. The Antar- They have made their contribution in The largest migration from India took Rashtriya Sahayog Parishad, Indian every walk of life, social, cultural, place in the 19th century when the Council for International Cooperation, educational and economic and it is French and the British organised the which is primarily meant for recognised by all concerned. The migration of Indian workers to their strengthening the social, cultural ties Indian Government has belatedly colonies for working in the fields. of people of Indian origin with Mother realised the importance of the PIOs Skilled workers from Pondicherry India, decided to organise this and has decided to set up a separate were taken to Mauritius more than 200 conference to project the contribution department in the Ministry of External years ago. After the abolition of by the Indian community in the Affairs for all matters of non- slavery by the British Parliament in cultural, educational and economic governmental organisations. It will be 1830, the British colonies need development of the countries in which able to win the confidence of the workers in their fields and the first they are living. people of Indian origin outside. group of indentured labourers from You will be glad to know that 35 India were taken to Mauritius in 1834. The introduction of PIO card is also a representatives from 28 countries Since then and up to 1917 Indian move in the right direction, but the levy which have sizable Indian origin ARSP BULLETIN • MARCH, 2021 1 of US $1,000 for each individual as fee for the card has not been appreciated. Amb. Virendra Gupta The fee could be a token amount so as to encourage the PIO to go for the Re- Elected as President of ARSP card. Arrangements should be made to have conferences of the PIO at least every two years to enable them to At the Annual General Body Meeting 13. Smt. Shubha Singh meet each other, discuss there of the Antar Rashtritya Sahayog 14. Shri Prabhat Kumar problems and sort out means to solve Parishad held on Friday 22 January, 15. Smt. Sushma Aggarwal them. Such conferences are 2021 through digital platform, 16. Dr. Rajni Sarin organised by the Chinese. As a result Ambassador Virendra Gupta was 17. Prof. Ajay Dubey there is a greater interaction among unanimously re-elected President for 18. Amb. Manju Seth the people of the Chinese diaspora the next two years term. 19. Shri Anil Joshi and the contribution therefore, of the overseas Chinese is much more than Members hailed the election of Amb. 20. Shri Raj Kumar Bhatia from the people within China. Virendra Gupta as President of ARSP. 21. Shri Suresh Kumar Goyal Amb. Virendra Gupta thanked the Co-opted Members members and assured his fullest 22. Shri Gopal Krishna Aggarwal commitment to ARSP's aims and 23. Shri Nirmal Singh objectives in the coming years. 24. Amb. J. S. Sapra The following are the office bearers for 25. Amb. Rajesh Sachdeva the year 2020-22. 26. Prof. Suresh Rituparna 1. Amb. Virendra Gupta 27. Dr. Markandeya Rai President 28. Shri Chandra Shekhar Randev Keshav G. Parande 2. Shri Nand Kishore Garg 29. Shri Vijay Kranti Sr. Vice-President 30. Shri Ajit Kumar 3. Shri Mukesh Aggarwal 31. Shri Tarun Vijay Vice-President 32. Smt. Renu Sharma 4. Shri Sanjay Bhalla 33. Shri S. N. Gupta Vice-President 34. Shri Sanjay Ganjoo 5. Shri Shyam Parande 35. Shri B.L.Gaur Secretary General 36. Shri Alok Kumar Keshav G. Parande 6. Shri Gopal Arora 37. Shri Gajendra Solanki Secretary 38. Shri Ajit Saigal 7. Dr. Shashi Bala 39. Shri S.S.Kothiyal, I.G.(Rtd.) Joint Secretary Ex. Officio-Members 8. Shri Amit Gupta 40. Shri Shiv Kumar Gupta Joint Secretary 41. Shri T. N. Malhotra 9. Shri Vipin Garg 42. Shri Rakesh Pandey Treasurer 43. Prof. Bharat Bhushan [email protected] Members of Managing Committee 44. Shri Ajay Patel 10. Amb. R. Dayakar 45. Dr. Saroja Vaidyanathan Website 11. Amb. Anup Kumar Mudgal 46. Ms. Kamalini www.arspindia.org 12. Shri Narayan Kumar 47. Dr. Rajiv Nayan 2 ARSP BULLETIN • MARCH, 2021 International Webinar “Role of Women in promotion of Culture in Diaspora and Neighbouring Countries” ? Dr.Ruchi Verma This year Antar Rashtriya Sahayog preservation, propagation and of diaspora like limping marriages and Parishad is commemorating the birth promotion of Indian culture. quality wives, issues of women centenary of Shri Baleshwar Agrawal m a r r i e d t o N R I ' s , i s o l a t i o n , Shyam Parande, Secretary General, and as part of the activities; an transnational children, and courier ARSP while paying tribute to international conference on “Role of parents. There is the need to Baleshwar ji recalled that he always Women in promotion of Culture in documents the narratives and planned that involvement of women D i a s p o r a a n d N e i g h b o u r i n g experiences of the women. should be more in ARSP activities. He Countries” was organized on 8 March, encouraged women participation in Dr Shovna Narayan from India 2021 by Antar Rashtriya Sahayog every field. Shri Parande highlighted addressed the issue of discrimination Parishad (ARSP), New Delhi. It was that women faced the worst hardships in the other countries in which women also special in a way as 8 March is in preserving culture during the are the worst sufferers. We need to celebrated as International Women's colonial period but they did a look at the measures to improve the Day world over. Keeping this in view, commendable job. Women are the situation. She further added that this conference was organised to ones who are leading the society, culture is the uniting force and highlight women's contributions brought up the next generation while performing arts played a very crucial towards preserving ethical and moral keeping the balance. They are the real part in this. values, languages, performing arts, torch bearers of 'sanskriti'. customs and traditions. Ms Parveena Balakrishna from Dr Rajni Chand from Fiji recounted the Malaysia talked about the conditions The conference begins with lighting of struggles and sufferings faced by the of Indian women diaspora in Malaysia lamp and remembering Late 1st and the 2nd generations of Indian particularly highlighting the situation Baleshwar Agrawal. Smt Sushma women migrants in Fiji, but because of when they were brought there as Agrawal, co-convener of the whom now the situation and c o o l i e s . T h e i r s t r u g g l e s , conference, lights the lamp and spoke conditions have improved especially discrimination, sufferings were fondly of Baleshwar ji. She narrates in the field of education. Women were discussed by her. her association with him. The the ones who realized the importance conference was then introduced and Prof. Kalpana Hiralal from South of education and encouraged the chaired by Dr Shashi Bala, Joint Africa discussed the arrival of Indian diaspora and Indian women to Secretary, ARSP. She highlighted that indentured women to Natal in 1860, study. Now, the women are well women from almost every corner of their changing status from immigrants educated and established in Fiji. She the world has participated in the to settlers and how their identity also highlighted the contributions of conference primarily from the girmitiya changed over a period of time. She Indian embassy in Fiji. and neighbouring countries as also discussed the contributions of Baleshwar ji has special affection Dr Rashmi Chari from India presented Indian women towards the road of towards these countries.