GLOBAL ORGANIZATION OF PEOPLE OF INDIAN ORIGIN (GOPIO)

P.O. Box 1413, Stamford, CT 06904, USA

 Tel: 203-329-8010, Fax: 203-322-2233

GOPIO ORGANIZES A SUCCESSFUL CONFERENCE IN NEW DELHI

The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) organized a day-long conference titled  “Perspectives and Issues of PIO Communities,” in New Delhi on Janaury 8^th in conjunction with Pravasi Bharatiys Divas. The program was held at the FICCI auditorium in New Delhi and was attended by over 250 delegates from 32 countries.

The program was started with greetings from Dr. Jagat Motwani, International Coordinator of GOPIO followed by a welcome address by GOPIO President Dr. Thomas Abraham. Dr. Abraham in his speech welcomed India Government’s initiative to organize Pravasi Bhratiya Divas. GOPIO was formed at such a meeting in NewYork in 1989 and has been providing a platform for the NRI/PIO communities.  “GOPIO always came forward whenever any PIO community was in crisis,” Said Dr. Abraham. Although, GOPIO is a membership oriented voluntary organization, it has developed an extensive network through out the world now. “By 2005, we hope to achieve GOPIO chapters in all major cities of world,” Dr. Abraham added.

 

The conference was inaugurated by the lighting of the lamp by Minister State for External Affairs Digvijay Singh. Minister Singh said that NRIs/PIOs were  the roving ambassadors of India. “They have come to the rescue of Indian economy and it is because of them that the Indian exchequer shows respectable balance,” Minister Singh added.

Dr. L.M. Singhvi, Chairman of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in his inaugural address called GOPIO, an important consultative forum and opinion maker. He said that the Indian Diaspora has done India proud and what they had achieved was not enough. “You have the responsibility to further partnership between the government and the PIOs,” Dr. Singhvi added. Dr. Singhvi also released a book “America and India in a ‘Give and Take’ Relationship,” authored by Dr. Jagat Motwani.

 

GOPIO chairman Ram Lakhina of The Netherlands said that the full potential PIO/NRI communities was not realized till recently. From brain drain, the community is now recognized as brain trust. The Indian Diaspora has been instrumental in transfer of capital and technology to India and in forging marketing links between India and the outside world. He said the relationship between the government and the Diaspora must change from seekers and providers of favor to partners in progress for their mutual benefit.

Lord Bhikhu Parekh said that there is no such thing as Indian Diaspora ‘in general.’ The Diaspora is country specific and each has its own distinct problems. Lord Parekh said, “If there is an Indian perspective of the Diaspora, there is also a Diasporic perspective of India and there has to be a realistic assessment of  mutual interests.” Lord Parekh called upon India to have a coherent Diaspora policy. The relationship between the Diaspora and India cannot be based on “love, affection and patriotism – the last commodity being in short supply in India itself.” For a coherent Diaspora policy to emerge, there should be “institutional space, a regular forum  within India which should meet regularly. The policy needs to be constantly revised through exchange of ideas, dialogue between the government  and PIOs.”

 

The former Fiji prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry regretted that Fiji Indians who have emigrated to richer nations have not extended their hand to help their less fortunate brethren struggling against institutionalized racial discrimination. Chaudhry Labor Party continues to wage a political struggle for justice and equity. Chaudhry acknowledged GOPIO’s help in raising the issue of the rights of Fiji Indians at various forums.

 

Community representatives from the following countries made the presentations:

Belgium (Sunil Prasad, President, GOPIO Belgium), Canada (Ambassador Kant Bhargava, Canadian Advisor, Council for Shastry Indo-Canadian Institute, Toronto; Ash Dutta, Canadian Federation of Fiji Organizations, Vancouver), Fiji (Dr. Ganesh Chand, Former Minister for National Planning, Housing and Environment), France (Vimal Khosla, GOPIO France, Paris), Germany (Dwarkesh Shah, Former GOPIO Secretary General and Coordinator for Germany), Guadeloupe (Jean Hira, President,  Federation "Bharat a Gua," Guadeloupe), Guyana (Yesu Persaud, GOPIO Regional VP for Caribbean Region, Georgetown), Indonesia (Yashroop Mal Lodha, P.T. Purayashuma Sakti, Jakarta), Jamaica (Prof. Ajai Mansingh, Univ. of West Indies, Kingston), Japan (Vashdev B. Rupani, The Indian Merchants Association of Yokohama), Madagaskar (Anilkoumar Odavjee Pala, President of Hindou Samaj d'Antananarivo), Mauritius (Deven Maulloo, General Manger, Motion Film Development Corp.), The Middle East (Syed Ahmed Ziauddin, President, NRIs Gulf Forum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), The Netherlands (Dr. H.U. Quereshi, GOPIO Coordinator, The Netherlands), Singapore (Nitin Doshi, Former Chairman, Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce), South Africa (Sagie Naidu, President, GOPIO South Africa), Switzerland (J.H. Makwana, GOPIO Executive Vice President, Zurich), Tanzania (Dr. J.K. Chande, Tanzania-India Friendship Association, Dar es Salam),  UK (Dr. K.N. Malik, Author and Journalist, London) and USA (Inder Singh, GOPIO President-Elect, California).

 

The concluding session passed three resolutions as follows:

 

1.      It re-endorsed the Zurich declaration of PIOs, “when any person of Indian origin is abused, attacked or discriminated against in any part of the world because of his or her ethnicity, all persons of Indian origin around the world will deem such an act or action directed against all of them and will stand together in the pursuit of justice.”

2.      The GOPIO conference in New Delhi urges Govt. of India to continue to support the struggle of the Fiji Indians to achieve and maintain their just political, social and economic rights in the country consistent with the provisions of the 1997 Fiji Constitution and UN’s Universal Declaration of Human rights.

3.      The GOPIO conference in New Delhi urges Govt. of India to expand the High Level Diaspora Committee to a Commission to establish an ongoing dialogue with PIOs.

 

The conference ended with an evening reception where the chief guest was I.K. Gujral, former Prime Minister of India. Minister of State for Power Jayawanti Mehta was also present at the reception.

 

The conference ended with a positive note with many countries coming forward to start GOPIO chapters. GOPIO can be reached at gopio@gopio.net or www.gopio.net