Sinha slams sceptic PIOs

Sinha responded to the provocative remarks by saying that nobody is stopping NRIs from coming to India, reports Vijaya Sharma.

In a hard-hitting response to some provocative remarks at the Bharatiya Pravasi Divas, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said: "Nobody is stopping NRIs from coming to India and doing good work here. India will reform with their help and assistance. We are in it together and will move ahead together."

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Sinha pointed out the case of Sukhi Turner from New Zealand who plans to invest in Moga, her native village in Punjab.

Sinha's outburst, which turned the interactive session at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas almost into a response to one person's comments, was a rejoinder to an US NRI Suresh Chaudhry's comment: "Sending a man to the moon and having $100 million dollars in forex does not address the main problem poverty and issues like AIDs in India. What are you doing for them? Why give 100 million dollars to Iraq, to Afghanistan when they hijacked our plane?

To such remarks, Sinha spelt out his message loud and clear: "We don't have to solve all our problems before we can start helping others. India will go and help others. We don't need to be ashamed of this. We are proud of this."

The first day of the second Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Delhi saw an audience extremely vibrant and eager to speak out. The session was on Productive Engangement with the Diaspora and they complained, they suggested, and criticised with passion. Sukhi Turner, responding to a fellow delegate, emphasised: "Don't point the finger always to the Govt. We must take the initiative. We must make sure all Indians get the opportunity we got when we went overseas."

Defending Vajpayee's comments on India's planned moon mission and $100 million in India's forex kitty,the External Affairs Minister said: "When the Prime Minister talks, he will talk of problems and achievments also.

For those who talk of India's poverty, perhaps you stay too far away and do not know of what is being done. Let me give you one specific example: In the last five years, we have brought down the level of those below the poverty line from 36 per cent to 26 per cent. Let there be no doubt. India is committed to eradicating poverty. India is a large country and it is not an easy task. Please bear with India.

"Democracy means accountability every minute and when I say this I say it with responsibility."

Addressing concerns on giving political rights to those NRIs who have dual citizenship, Sinha said: "In 1988, we introduced the PIO card. In a short period of just five years after that, we have the dual citizenship act. We have come a long way. On granting political rights to NRIs, that issue has to be debated in the country."

Here is what the audience had to say: