18th PBD celebrations in Odisha to give fillip to Centre's 'Purvodaya' scheme

New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) celebrations are all set to begin in Odisha's Bhubaneswar from January 8 and will see thousands of Non-Resident Indians and members of the Indian diaspora from across the world congregating at the city for the mega event.

The PBD celebrations started in January 2003 to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India in 1915 and celebrates the achievements and contribution of overseas Indian community in the country’s development.

With PBD shifting venue to Eastern part of country for the first time, this affirms and reinforces Centre's commitment in taking forward its ‘Purvodaya’ project, conceived for the all-round development of Eastern region comprising states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

In the Union Budget 2024, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had outlined government's decision to formulate a plan titled ‘Purvodaya’ to tap into the rich cultural traditions of the region to transform into economic hubs, in a bid to fasten the government's goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’.

The hosting of 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Odisha is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's Purvodaya plan, which envisages a detailed and holistic roadmap for development of the region.

Odisha’s rich reserve of minerals and natural resources will go a long way in taking forward this mission. The state leads all its counterparts in fields like mining, iron and steel manufacturing, marine economy, sports, skilling and even knowledge economy. Several Indian IT companies have established bases in the state.

The PBD event would be an opportunity to showcase what the state has to offer to the world.

The eastern state also has age-old maritime connections with South-East Asia. In the past, merchants, monks and travelers from Odisha have visited places far-off places in the South-East Asia.

The Bali Yatra and Odisha's connections with Sri Lanka speak of these vibrant cultural ties. The PBD convention will illuminate these historical journeys and efforts underway to revive them.

Like every year, the PBD celebrations in Bhubaneshwar, from January 8 - January 10 will showcase vibrancy of the Indian diaspora and their achievements abroad.

Also, exhibitions on Ramayana, Technology and Diaspora are being organized to spotlight the contributions of Indian diaspora and how they acted as a vehicle for promotion of Indian culture, values and ethos abroad.

The Ramayana exhibition would showcase how the epic travelled to countries in South-East Asia where, they still remain a vast attraction for the locals as well as foreign tourists.

Notably, the idea of 'Purvodaya' was first floated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 when he dedicated a refinery of the Indian Oil Corporation Limited in Paradip, Odisha.

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