PM invites Indian diaspora to join eco development, politics

New Delhi, Jan 8 (PTI) Reaching out to the Indian
diaspora, Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh Friday
invited them to "actively" participate in the country's
economic development and join politics while hoping that they
would get voting rights by the time of next general elections
in 2014.
He noted that the country was expecting 7 per cent growth
this year despite the "unprecedented" financial crisis and was
hopeful about return to sustained 9-10 per cent growth in a
couple of years.
"We seek the active involvement of the overseas Indian
communities in accelerating the pace of our economic and
social development. In this context, it is important that we
make efforts to connect the second generation of overseas
Indians with their ancestral heritage and involve them
actively in India’s march forward," he said inaugurating the
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations here.
Singh said he recognises the "legitimate desire" of
Indians living abroad to exercise their franchise and to have
a say in who governs India.
"We are working on this issue and I sincerely hope that
they will get a chance to vote by the time of the next regular
general elections," Singh told the gathering of 1,500 overseas
Indians from 40 countries.
"In fact, I would go a step further and ask why more
overseas Indians should not return home to join politics and
public life as they are increasingly doing in business and
academia," he said. (MORE) PTI