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(Attn Editors: Following is a first person account of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas by Fakir Hassen, a South African Indian correspondent for Indo-Asian News Service) India-Diaspora-Meet* (1,154 words) Pravasi Bharatiya Divas did not live up to expectations By Fakir Hassen As a third generation South African of Indian origin, with my first grandchild on the way to make it a fifth since my grandfather landed in South Africa exactly a 100 years ago from Gujarat, I had perhaps unwarranted huge expectations of the first Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held in New Delhi last week. The hype around the event was huge, creating expectations of serious attempts by the Indian government to find ways of helping assure the survival of Indian culture in the diaspora through various means. But in the end it seemed to be just one big get together aimed at securing investment in India from NRIs and PIOs, as well as a platform for some local and diaspora politicians to make statements. Insufficient time for many panellists who had obviously gone to great lengths to prepare papers resulted in some not even bring able to speak because of poor control by chairmen of these panels, and many speakers who were first on the schedules engaging in something akin to an ego trip. Mostly, the first speakers were dignitaries and others based in India itself. Exacerbating the issue was the fact that there was just one session of parallel discussions. Many people who had incurred huge costs to get here wanted multiple sessions on issues like education, culture and media, but this was not possible. So what was the actual benefit of having spent perhaps more than 20,000 rands to be at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas for a South African Indian? While North American, European and Australian delegates were excited at the announcement that dual citizenship will be permitted, it meant nothing to me, as I may not even be able to take advantage of this because of South African laws. As I reviewed the announcement during my insomniac hours in the wee hours of the next morning, I wondered what were the practical benefits of the decision? A person granted dual citizenship would not be able to cast a vote in India, thereby making an impact, albeit small, on India's politics and a statement on the ethnic conflict -- that was almost totally ignored and indeed even shouted down by some Indian delegates when some prominent NRIs raised it in sessions. Having paid my own way to the event, I was perhaps in a more fortunate position than those delegates who would have been sent by their organisations or institutions with a mandate to achieve something besides just networking, which obviously happens at any conference. What would they be taking back to South Africa to tell their institutions that it had been money well spent? As a journalist, questions I raised of the organisers, L.M. Singhvi and J.C. Sharma, at a press conference, were either fobbed off or ignored. What, I asked, was their response to a letter written to the committee by Ela Gandhi, the South African granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, who had refused to participate in the Pravasi Bharati Divas because it might increase tensions between South African Indians and Africans and might be perceived as yet another exclusionist attempt by Indians in the country? The question was ignored and generated more interest from the scribes in the room afterwards as they descended on me more than on committee members. What did the committee think about the comments by South African Fatima Meer, one of 10 recipients of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards, that she abhorred the word diaspora? Singhvi failed to answer the question, going instead into a detailed explanation of the derivation of the word diaspora from Jewish times. Why was there only one woman recipient among the 10, I wanted to know. They could not talk on behalf of the jury, replied Singhvi, with those jury members nowhere to be found during the conference to answer the question. At a personal level of interaction, though, I discovered that South African Indians are not unique in their quest to find ways of ensuring that some vestiges of Indian culture remain with their future generations. On the positive side, the cultural programmes and cuisine of the various states of India arranged by the organisers were fascinating, to say the least. The 'jugalbandi' (duet) by Ravi Shankar and Bismillah Khan was a unique experience. I suppose the worldwide diaspora interest in Bollywood justified the show at which Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and others thrilled the delegates, many of whom were from countries where, because of economics, they would probably never get to see a show like this. I was a little more fortunate. Just a week before I arrived in India, I was in Durban, where the majority of South Africa's 1.2 million Indians live. Amitabh Bachchan and nine other leading lights of Bollywood had come to present the "Now or Never" live stage show to an audience of 50,000 people. In fact, the diaspora meet again highlighted for me how the Indian entertainment industry has had an amazing impact in helping retain interest in Indian culture, even if it is a somewhat biased interest. Most South African youth today cannot speak, read or write any of the languages their forebears brought with them, yet they will still flock to watch a Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh Khan or Kareena Kapoor film on screen. The music of big film hits is eagerly awaited and quickly sold out, as are videos and DVDs of films. Of late, Indian cinema in South Africa has been revived after nearly three decades of dormancy because of the apartheid sanctions era. Indian entertainment and ethnic media has played not just a significant, but indeed a critical role in South Africa to help South African Indians retain some sense of their cultural identity amid the myriad of cultures they are exposed to and also in their quest to be true and loyal South Africans first without losing their roots. It has also helped other cultures in the country to learn more about the cultural heritage of the Indian community. In a nation emerging from decades of isolationist and divisive policies which led to mistrust and misconceptions perpetuated through a morally reprehensible legal enforcement framework that led to a lack of knowledge and exposure to other communities, Indian entertainment will continue to play this important role in South Africa for some time to come. Perhaps this theme, and its extension with appropriate adjustment to other diaspora developments and needs, might have made the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas a much bigger success in the interests of the NRIs and NGOs, for whom it was supposedly designed. How many will attend the next one, and what will be on the agenda then will be quite interesting to watch. --Indo-Asian News Service
