In the last few years, we have seen growing number of reminders that a politically engaged non-resident population is becoming a force to reckon with in influencing the politics back home. The diaspora not only symbolises the historical challenge of India’s rise on the global map post-Independence but also are icons of India’s Soft Power. Post 2014 elections, Indian leaders and political think-tanks are furiously taking notes of concerns and needs of these diasporic “digital seats”.
From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the INC President Rahul Gandhi, the leaders are making consistent effort at a sustained and fruitful engagement with the Indian-origin people abroad. At a moment in time when India is going through a period of political churning, there are massive changes, both positive and negative, that require a greater connectivity with the diaspora. In India, established with the active support of progressive individuals, Samruddha Bharat Foundation (SBF) is an independent platform that “strives to counter the systematic attacks on the Constitutional idea of India and on the temples of India’s democracy”. It was inaugurated on 8th May by INC president Rahul Gandhi.
Pushparaj Deshpande, the young Managing Trustee and Director of the Samruddha Bharat Foundation, has worked on legislation and policy advocacy with various members of Parliament, a political consulting firm, the Congress Party and Rajya Sabha Television. In an exclusive interview with Asian Voice, he shared his ideas and plans of “giving more” to the diaspora, which has, so far, “given India so much”. Deshpande spoke to us about another upcoming initiative “Bridge India” (BI). The blueprint for ‘Bridge India’, is all set to be registered as a foundation next month, hopes to be the medium through which the Indian diaspora can relay its sentiments, grievances and success stories to their country of origin, India. Bridge India will work in tandem with Samruddha Bharat Foundation to achieve these goals. One of the immediate challenges, as Deshpande describes, is to connect the professionals of the diaspora with their respective professional counterparts in the country in order to come together to solve problems and to raise their concerns to not only the government of their residence but also to the fellow brethren of India.
Deshpande feels that Indians living abroad have given back to the country in myriad ways, but the country has not been able to do much for them in return. He shared, “I was in the congress think tank and worked with various legislators. I can argue that India doesn’t engage with diaspora very organically, partly due to historic circumstances, but the diaspora was effectively left to their own devices. However, today our strategic borders are not co-terminus with the geographical borders. A big reason we were able to come out of the structural adjustment programmes and political conditionality after 1991 is because of the diaspora, which was a strategic reservoir of capital”. Deshpande argued that Indian politics has failed to reciprocate, and even when it did, “it was a sporadic, one-sided and ill-thought out engagement, not a two-way street”.
As SBF’s sister-organisation, BI will be completely autonomous, but connected to it and aim to work with SBF to fulfil social, economic, cultural and political goals of the British Indian diaspora, along with recognising and fostering their multiple identities. Their plan is to work with various political parties, universities, think tanks, vocational groups, civil society, the administrative and diplomatic community, and the cultural fraternity in India and provide a sustainable network to the British-Indian diaspora to secure assistance from Indian channels. This will include forming associations of British-Indian professionals, or garnering support from Indian political community to contest elections in Britain, and so on; any activity/enterprise that will enhance opportunities for the Indian origin individuals in Britain.
Regarding Indians who wish to study or work abroad, Deshpande believes that it is high-time they are recognised as ‘assets’ who would go on to become thought leaders, businesspeople and cultural ambassadors. He shared, “The idea of brain drain is fading. If our vision and frontiers are global then we need to empower Indians across the world to do the best they can. That way they can create multiple opportunities for other Indians, rather than being seen as severing ties with India. We are in a position to leverage our greatest asset, our people. There are many low-hanging fruits, we just need to create an enabling environment for that”. He added, “There is not even a broad agreed understanding of where India should be in the next 100 years. The only forces working on that are regressive forces who want to take us back to the imagined glorious past”.
