The largest democracy in the world recently elected a new leader, and to be successful at leading his already divided country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should turn an ear to the Indian-American population.
A domestic debate: The successful Indian Diaspora is considered one of India’s richest natural resources but remains mostly untapped by the Indian government. Modi must decide how close he wishes his government to be to the Indian migrants to the west. Traditionally, India has shunned those who left because of their western framework and a feeling of abandonment; however this closed idea of thinking is keeping out new ideas, expertise and modernization.
While the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs established “Overseas Indian’s Day” (Pravasi Bharatiya Divas) to makre the contribution of overseas Indian community to the development of India, the government still cannot decide what the role of Indian-Americans should be. Modi’s upcoming visit to New York City, where he is expected to deliver a major policy speech on the Indian Diaspora will be a pivitol decision on how the Indian government embraces those who left in the future.
Joining forces: The public reception organized by the Indian-American Community Foundation (IACF) in Madison Square Garden is an ideal stepping stone for Modi to embrace the leadership and promise the Indian American community can contribute. The 20,000 Indian Americans traveling Madison Square on September 28 presents itself as a unique opportuntiy for “a stronger relationship between the world’s oldest and largest democracies,” according to IACF spokesperson Anand Shah. This gathering is the largest scheduled public reception by a foreign leader on American soil in recent history.
A large number of U.S. lawmakers, community leaders, and congressmen are also expected to attend the event.
The Indian Diaspora witnessed a major boom in the United States during the IT movement in the 1990s. Currently, there are over three million Indian-Americans residing in the U.S. today.
A domestic debate: The successful Indian Diaspora is considered one of India’s richest natural resources but remains mostly untapped by the Indian government. Modi must decide how close he wishes his government to be to the Indian migrants to the west. Traditionally, India has shunned those who left because of their western framework and a feeling of abandonment; however this closed idea of thinking is keeping out new ideas, expertise and modernization.
While the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs established “Overseas Indian’s Day” (Pravasi Bharatiya Divas) to makre the contribution of overseas Indian community to the development of India, the government still cannot decide what the role of Indian-Americans should be. Modi’s upcoming visit to New York City, where he is expected to deliver a major policy speech on the Indian Diaspora will be a pivitol decision on how the Indian government embraces those who left in the future.
Joining forces: The public reception organized by the Indian-American Community Foundation (IACF) in Madison Square Garden is an ideal stepping stone for Modi to embrace the leadership and promise the Indian American community can contribute. The 20,000 Indian Americans traveling Madison Square on September 28 presents itself as a unique opportuntiy for “a stronger relationship between the world’s oldest and largest democracies,” according to IACF spokesperson Anand Shah. This gathering is the largest scheduled public reception by a foreign leader on American soil in recent history.
A large number of U.S. lawmakers, community leaders, and congressmen are also expected to attend the event.
The Indian Diaspora witnessed a major boom in the United States during the IT movement in the 1990s. Currently, there are over three million Indian-Americans residing in the U.S. today.