We want “man ka rishta” with Indian diaspora: Rajnath

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that the government is not just looking at investments by the people of Indian origin living across the world but also wants to have deeper ties with the Indian diaspora.

“Please don’t feel that we are looking only at investments from you. It is not ‘dhan ka rishta’ that we are looking, but a ‘man ka rishta’,” Mr. Singh said addressing the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas here, adding “We cannot forget the contribution of the PIOs and NRIs to India and we are very proud of it.”

The Home Minister also acknowledged that if anything adverse happens in the country even the PIOs and NRIs are affected.

Calling the diaspora ‘Swadeshi’, irrespective of the country they reside in, Mr. Singh said India needs them to contribute in multiple ways on this journey of transformation that India has begun.

“We want to create a self-esteemed, self-reliant and a strong India, and cannot achieve the objective without your contribution,” Mr. Singh said, addressing the flagship conclave of the diaspora.

“Just like Mahatma Gandhi’s vision, the Modi government is working to have an integrated development of the country which entails equal attention to the villages,” he said, appealing to the diaspora to help create jobs in the rural areas.

Drawing attention towards the government’s flagship ‘Make in India’ initiative, Mr. Singh said the objective of turning India into a manufacturing powerhouse cannot be realised without active support from the NRIs and PIOs.

Indian diaspora is a “great capital” for the country which needs to be nurtured, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said on Thursday as he sought its cooperation in transforming India, which awaits them with opportunities.