RIYADH — Charge d'Affaires Hemant Kotalwar during the Pravsi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) celebration here said, "PBD is an occasion for people and government to renew bonds with Indian Diaspora, and to advance mutually beneficial relationship between Indians residing within and out of the country." Kotalwar, in his opening remarks while welcoming the gathering, said it is a historic occasion as on this day the greatest Pravsi (traveler) of all time Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of Our Nation, returned to India and this day is commemorated as PBD. He briefed the community members with the highlights of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech, which he delivered in Bengaluru, India, during the Pravsi Bhartiya Divas celebration. This year PBD was celebrated at Bengaluru. The Indian Embassy also celebrated the PBD with fervor. More than 200 community members attended the event at the embassy auditorium. Kotalwar spoke about the Indian government's new initiatives and programs related to the welfare of Indian nationals in the Gulf countries. He elaborated the success of MADAD portal E-migrate, social media in reaching out to the members of the community living in every nook and corner of this vast country. He said Indian government's top priority is welfare, safety and security of each Indian national. He assured the community that their grievances would be attended to with speed, promptness and sensitivity. He recalled the recent overwhelming help of Saudi authorities in the repatriation of those Indian workers who wanted to return home. He also thanked all concerned Saudi authorities for their continued support and cooperation. Kotalwar also informed the audience that Zeenat Jafri, former principal International Indian School, girls' section, Riyadh is one of the recipients of the Pravasi Samman Award in recognition of her dedicated educational services in Riyadh. She founded and served the Indian school for 32 years. This year more than 100 delegates attended the PBD event in Bengaluru from Saudi Arabia. The PBD 2017 focused on the theme "Redefining the engagement with the Indian Diaspora" in order to strengthen Diaspora's engagement and provide a platform for networking with the Diaspora, to recognize the Diaspora's contribution to India and know their expectations and concerns, to deepen engagement with young Diaspora, and to help them know more about their roots. The celebration started with a 22 minutes documentary on the steps taken by Indian missions in various countries to help stranded Indians. In these cases the Indian government had intervened and talked with respective governments to ensure the safe return of Indians. The Embassy selected seven prominent members from the community to speak on the important initiatives/programs of the Indian government. The speakers included Ahmed Imthias, Balachandran Nair, Suhail Ahamad, Srinivasan, Mirza Zaheer Baig, Kundan Lal Kotwal, Owaise Ahamad. The speakers stressed on various topics especially the flagship programs of the government like Swachh Bharat, Namami Gange project, water conservation and waste water management, India Development Foundation, Skill India Program, Digital India, role of community in spreading awareness of India's various development programs, tourism, education, the role of Indian company L&T in the prestigious Riyadh Metro project, role of Indian Diaspora in the Saudi Arabia economy. The speakers were widely applauded for their depth and understanding of the government initiatives and their implications on Indian expatriates abroad, particularly in the Gulf region. Anil Nautiyal, first secretary at the Indian Embassy, conducted the proceedings and proposed the vote of thanks and Embassy staff also actively participated in this event. Madam Shabnam Javed wife of Ambassador also attended the event. Students of Indian International Public School, Riyadh, presented a colorful cultural program and mesmerized the audience with dances choreographed by Hina Merchant.
