Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist January 2019 | Page 33

COVER STORY
The President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind presenting the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards, at the closing session of the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention
2019, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on January 23, 2019. The Prime Minister of Mauritius, Mr. Pravind Jugnauth, the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Ram Naik, the
Union Minister for External Affairs, Smt. Sushma Swaraj, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, the Minister of State for External Affairs, General
(Retd.) V.K. Singh and other dignitaries are also seen.
“The 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebration is
special, and for several reasons. This year, we are marking
the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, whom
we consider our greatest Pravasi and in whose honour
we have chosen 9th January as the Indian Diaspora Day
to be celebrated each year. It is also the fi rst time that
we are hosting this festivity in Varanasi, a city which is
so much part of our lives - our thought, our beliefs, our
music and dance, and our spirituality. And as we talk of
Varanasi, there is yet another facet that we must recollect.
The ghats of this ancient city and its surroundings have
been witness to one of the most poignant epochs of our
diasporic history,” he further added.
President Kovind conferred Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
Awards 2019 to 30 awardees.
While appreciating the eff orts and hard work of the NRIs,
President Kovind further stressed “Your success and hard
work have set an example which many want to emulate.
The communities that you live in, count on your enterprise
and skills; the countries that you reside in, are proud of your
citizenship; and the world-at-large turns to your ingenuity
when faced with intractable challenges. We count each one
of you as our cultural ambassador. You are the face of India
and its identity abroad. We are, indeed, proud of you and
your achievements. But what really makes your contributions
standout are the values that you espouse and live for. These are
values that intrinsically remain Indian, drawn from millennia
of thought and progress, and which are fi rmly anchored in our
age-old belief of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbamkam” that is – "the
World is One Family”.
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 1 • January 2019, Noida • 33