SME Times News Bureau | 05 Sep, 2019
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has called upon
the Indian Diaspora to effectively counter false propaganda and negative
narrative about India, particularly in the wake of the recent reorganization of
Jammu and Kashmir State.
Speaking after releasing the Coffee Table Book
titled 'Glorious Diaspora- Pride of India' containing brief profiles of the
recipients of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards from 2003 to 2019 in New Delhi,
he said the overseas Indians must create awareness in the countries of their
stay that the dilution of Article 370 was purely an internal administrative
measure and aimed at accelerating the development of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
It has nothing to do with religion and any such
false propaganda should be rebutted, he added.
Cautioning that some vested interests at times
spread a lot of disinformation about India in the western media by portraying a
negative image, Naidu said “ a few isolated incidents are used to spin
fictitious narratives that intolerance, religious and social disharmony are on
the rise in India”.
The Pravasi Bharatiyas must effectively counter
such falsehoods and project the correct image of India, especially on the
harmonious co-existence of the people belonging to all religions and various
social groups, the Vice President added.
Describing the Indian Diaspora as ambassadors of
India’s great culture, heritage and its intrinsic values of humanism, the Vice
President lauded their contributions for the welfare of the nation through
their philanthropic and charitable work.
Observing that giving back to the society was key
element of Indian philosophy, the Vice President asked the diaspora to
contribute towards India’s growth story through greater participation in the
areas of education, health, and agriculture.
He urged them to become partners in programmes
such as Swachh Bharat, Clean Ganga, Make in India, Digital India, and Skill
India and strengthen them.
Naidu appreciated the Indian Diaspora Club for
bringing out the book. He said that since the launch of Pravasi Bharatiya
Samman Award (PBSA) in 2003, many deserving people of Indian origin from around
the world have been honoured--they include politicians, business leaders,
scientists, economists and artists from around the world.