Celebrating Pravasi Bhartiya Divas

High Commission of India in Sri Lanka celebrated Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) 2016 on January 9, 2016 at the Indian Cultural Centre, Colombo. About 50 prominent members of Pravasi Bhartiya community in Sri Lanka were invited to attend the event. Minister of National Co-existence, Dialogue and Official Languages of Sri Lanka, Mano Ganesan, was the Chief Guest. Shri Y.K. Sinha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, was also present.

Speaking on the occasion, the High Commissioner highlighted the importance of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, which is celebrated every year on January 9 to commemorate the contribution made by Indian Diaspora towards nation building in India and in their adopted countries. He spoke about the close cultural links between India and Sri Lanka and the contribution of the Indian Diaspora in Sri Lanka, which has acted as a bridge between the two ancient civilizations.

Chief Guest, Mano Ganesan, appreciated the role being played by the Indian High Commission for engaging Pravasi Bhartiyas in various activities and helping them in various ways. He also referred to the historical relations between India and Sri Lanka and the role Pravasi Bhartiyas are playing in strengthening the bonds between the two countries. The gathering was also addressed by Ashroff Omar, CEO, Brandix Lanka, who has made large investment in India in the Brandix India Apparel City in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Kaushik Udeshi, President of GOPIO, also addressed the gathering and gave a brief historical account of the Indian Diaspora in Sri Lanka and the contributions made by them to strengthen the bonds of friendship between Sri Lanka and India. One of the highlight of the event was the screening of the short films on India's flagship programmes: 'Make in India', 'Smart Cities' and 'Digital India'.