Gujarat to host 2015 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

The 2015 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) will be held at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the return to India from South Africa of the most well-known ‘pravasi’ – Mahatma Gandhi – in 1915.

The 2015 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) will be held at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the return to India from South Africa of the most well-known ‘pravasi’ – Mahatma Gandhi – in 1915.

Indian high commissioner Ranjan Mathai announced on Monday that a large number of participants from Britain were expected to attend the 2015 edition of PBD, which is celebrated every year on 9 January.

He also announced that the Regional PBD will be held in London over two days in October this year. It will be the eighth such convention of Regional PBD (the last was in Sydney), and the first time it will be held in Britain.

Regional PBDs are organised by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs with the collaboration of the host Government, the Indian Mission, prominent overseas Indians and organisations catering to the needs of the Indian diaspora.

The objective is to reach out to those members of the community who have been unable to participate in the annual PBD in India and to provide a platform for the Indian community in the region to contribute to the relationship between countries of the region and India.

PBD conventions held annually in India since 2003 provide a platform to the overseas Indian community to engage with the government and people of the land of their ancestors. Individuals of exceptional merit are honoured with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award to appreciate their role in India’s growth.