Pravasi Bharatiya Divas should serve as a reminder that not only Indian Muslims but even those working abroad in countries where Muslims form the overwhelming majority are integral to the success of India.
– Arshad Shaikh
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas aims to recognize and honor the Indian diaspora across the world. The event celebrated on January 9, acknowledges the contributions and achievements of overseas Indians in various fields. This recognition helps foster a strong connection between the homeland (India) and its diasporic communities by forging a sense of unity and shared identity.
The concept of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was introduced in 2003 to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s return from South Africa to India on January 9, 1915. The Divas reminds us about the glorious role played by NRIs towards the development of our country and the various accolades and laurels they earned abroad.
According to the World Bank data on international remittances, India surpassed earlier predictions by $14 billion. It was expected to reach remittances to the tune of $125 billion by 2023. This surge in remittances to India is quite remarkable, especially when compared to the figure of $89.38 billion recorded just two years ago (2020-21). In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Finance Shri Pankaj Chaudhary informed that this amount ($ 89.38 billion) was the highest ever received in a single year.
Interestingly, the remittance from some Muslim-majority countries to India makes up a whopping 29.3% (UAE 18.0%, Saudi Arabia 5.1%, Kuwait 2.4%, Oman 1.6%, Qatar 1.5%, Malaysia 0.7%). The United States makes up 23.4% of all remittances to India with the United Kingdom contributing 6.8% and Singapore 5.7%. Unfortunately, this fact is rarely highlighted by the media.
Another fact that is rarely appreciated is the extremely safe and secure living conditions experienced by the majority Hindu community in these Muslim-majority countries. In Muslim-majority countries, Hindus celebrate all their festivals with great religious fervor and gaiety without facing any undue restrictions or resentment.
It is extremely rare to hear of a single case of Hindus experiencing hate crimes or “Hinduphobia” in these countries. None of them has organized movements or IT cells whose exclusive job is to target Hindus, their religion, culture, and ideology. There is no political patronage extended to groups that deride and disparage expatriates as outsiders. These Muslim-majority countries seem to imbibe the Indian ethos of “Vasudeva kutumbakam” (the world is one family), which we seem to have forgotten.
For example, the land for a Shiva temple in Bur Dubai dating back to 1958 was given to the Hindu community in Dubai by the rulers of Dubai. According to the head of the committee that runs the temple complex, Vasu Shroff, the devotees “started growing in numbers, and finally, the number of devotees going there was huge. During Shivratri (Hindu festival celebrating Lord Shiva), the number of devotees reached more than 100,000. So, due to the congestion, the committee requested for a newer and bigger place.” (Khaleej Times)
The temple is now relocating to a new sprawling compound in Jebel Ali. The Shiva temple in Jebel Ali welcomed 40,000 devotees on the first day of the New Year.
What can we learn from the benevolence showered by the Muslim-majority community on all Indians irrespective of their religion? Many lessons can be imbibed but the most important thing for the people of our country would be to let go of the hate they are piling up within their hearts regarding Muslims. A case in point is the well-documented hate directed against legitimate Palestinian resistance and justification of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza by the Indian right wing. Not only is this lending a bad name to our country in Muslim countries but is also cutting at the roots of our glorious legacy of pioneering and supporting those who struggle against fascism, apartheid, and imperialism.
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas should serve as a reminder that not only Indian Muslims but even those working abroad in countries where Muslims form the overwhelming majority are integral to the success of India.
