Anup K. Mudgal

Over 33 million strong Indian diaspora spread all over the world has been an exceptionally successful story. Given their skills and other social qualities, they are also among the most sought after lots in most countries. Indian diaspora has performed well on all important parameters — political, economical, technological and cultural. Pios are amongst the top skilled, employable and prosperous non-native people in most countries. They are heading some of the top multinational companies and hold high positions in many international organisations, in a way making an important contribution to the evolving global agenda. Today, Indian diaspora is investing in creating jobs and Cutting edge technologies world over. India has also done very well in reaching out to its diaspora through various channels, including the youth. At over USD 75 billion annually, India is the top recipient of remittances. Diaspora could also be an important source of technology and know-how. Given their Goodwill on both sides, they are a great source of confidence building between India and countries of their adoption, and have demonstrated their clout on many occasions. Over the last many centuries, Indians have travelled to many near and far off destinations in the world for trade, business, education and jobs. One major wave of such movement was carried out by the colonial administration under the so called indentured system for meeting labour shortages in their overseas plantations. This inhuman system of exploitation of workers finally ended and the Centenary of its abolition was commemorated in many parts of the world including India during 2017-18. Antar Rashtriya sahyog Parishad (arsp) had organised year long activities to mark this important land mark in the life of Indian diaspora, culminating with an international conference on the topic, ‘contribution of diaspora in nation building’ in Mauritius in July 2018. Several leaders and scholars addressed this gathering and this publication captures the essence of its outcomes. This publication could be a good reference for students and scholars working on diaspora.

This volume is based on the proceedings of the Kalinga International Foundation`s first international conference ― PURBASA: East Meets East: Synergising the Northeast and Eastern India with the Indo-Pacific, held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, in March 2018. Following soon after the India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit of 25 January 2018, this conference clearly demonstrated what a carefully choreographed convergence of politics, diplomacy, arts, and scholarship can produce by way of specific ideas to deepen India’s relationship with the East.

India’s Act East Policy has extended the nation`s vision beyond ASEAN to the larger Indo-Pacific region which unifies the Indian Ocean region and the Western Pacific region into a singular construct. This is a natural progression of the civilisational connect that India’s East and Northeast has enjoyed with other countries, both overland and through the waters of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, over the centuries. The deliberations of the conference provide interesting answers as to how the relationship between India and the countries of the region should develop in this period of geopolitical flux in the wider Indo-Pacific.

Member of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) retired in May, 2016

Member
Briefly worked at the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi