Underlining the role played by overseas Indians in the country’s development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said they have made an invaluable contribution to the Indian economy by investing over 69 billion US dollars.
“For me, FDI has two definitions — one is ‘Foreign Direct Investment’ and the other is ‘First Develop India’,” he said while addressing the 14th Pravasi Bharati Divas in Bengaluru.
He asserted that “I can say with full confidence that 21st century belong to India.”
Referring to the earlier trend of brain drain, he said “We want to change brain drain to brain gain” and added that the government will soon launch a skill development programme ‘Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojna’ for the Indian youth seeking employment abroad.
Welcoming the efforts of Indian diaspora to strengthen the country’s partnership with the overseas Indian community, Modi said “Hum passport ka colour nahi dekhte khoon ka rishta dekhte hain (We don’t see the colour of the passports, but the relations written by blood which matter the most).”
Encouraging all PIO Card holders to convert their PIO Cards into OCI Cards, Modi said “we have extended the deadline for PIO card conversions to OCI from 31 December 2016, until June 30, 2017 without any penalty.”
Castigating the opponents of demonetisation, Modi said those terming the government’s move as ‘anti-people’ were the political worshippers of graft and black money which were making the economy, polity and society hollow.
“Friends you know we have undertaken a big responsibilty in fighting black money and corruption… Black money and corruption have gradually made our polity, economy, society and the country hollow.
“It is unfortunate that there are some political worshippers (rajnaitik pujari) of black money who term our actions against it as anti-people,” Modi said at the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention here.
“It is very saddening to see some black money supporters maligning the moves against corruption,” he said while thanking the Indian diaspora for supporting the government’s steps against corruption and black money.
