Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist March 2019

SPECIAL REPORT 215 speakers, Oriya has 721 speakers, while Sindhi is spoken by 1,592 speakers. Hinduism accounts for approximately 440,000 followers (up from 148,100 in 2006), while Sikhs number 129,900 – a 500 percent increase from the 26,000 recorded in the 2006 Census. Islam counts 604,000 followers from various countries. The full extent of Indian soft power, arguably second only to that of the United States of America, is on display here during festivals like Diwali, which is celebrated annually in the Australian Parliament under the auspices of the Hindu Council of Australia. The Diwali 2018 celebration, held in the prestigious Great Hall of Parliament in Canberra on December 3 (delayed to coincide with the parliamentary session) was a huge success. The day-long program of activities featured poojas, the lighting of the lamp, classical Bharatnatyam performances, distribution of Prasad and the Annakut oﬀ ering. The celebration attracted a steady procession of Ministers, MPs, and Senators from all parties, all of whom lauded the signiﬁ cant contribution made by the Indian diaspora to Australia’s economy and its way of life. Indian culture, cuisine, music, and dance are also proudly on display during festivals like Holi and Vaisakhi, which are celebrated with great fervour in cities around Australia. The celebrations are organised by a plethora of community organisations that represent all sections of the diaspora. Many of these organisations are structured along state, linguistic and religious lines. Cricket tournaments involving sub-continental teams are played throughout Australia, in a spirit of friendship and unity. Visiting Indian singers and Bollywood celebrities often perform before sell-out crowds of adoring desi fans. A segment called India in the City has become a landmark event at the National Multicultural Festival held in Canberra every February. The segment is organised by the Canberra India Council, which also plays a key role in organizing the highly popular World Curry Festival held in July each year, where curries from India and many other countries tempt the palates of festival patrons Indian culture, cuisine, music, and dance are also proudly on display during festivals like Holi and Vaisakhi, which are celebrated with great fervour in cities around Australia. As a community, the Indian diaspora is welcomed and respected as professional, hardworking and law-abiding – people who value the opportunity to live in Australia and make a positive contribution. Children of the diaspora community are regularly among the top achievers in schools and universities. Indian entrepreneurs are making inroads in the business sector, taking up franchises, setting up their own businesses and even making forays in the housing construction industry. Approximately 70,000 Indian university students study in Australia each year, the second highest number after China. Diaspora professionals are at the forefront in every sphere of human endeavour – from academia, business and healthcare to mining and space research. There are accountants, teachers, professors, doctors, scientists, lawyers, engineers, IT experts, nurses, and various other healthcare professionals. The diaspora is well represented in federal and state government departments and agencies. The one exception where the diaspora has yet to make an impact is federal politics – which is still a largely Anglo-Saxon domain. But with its growing strength and inﬂ uence, it should not be too long before diaspora members gain representation in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Indian-born Australians are almost three times as likely as the wider Australian Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 3 • March 2019, Noida • 29

Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist March 2019 | Page 29