NRIs to get voting rights by next LS polls: PM

NEW DELHI: NRIs will be able to vote in the next general elections, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the annual gathering of the Indian
Twitter    Facebook    Share
Email    Print    Save    Comment
diaspora amid indications that the long-held promise may be comimg to fruition with government planning to change the definition of who is a "citizen".

Addressing the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Singh said, "I recognise the legitimate desire of Indians living abroad to exercise their franchise and to have a say in who governs India... In fact, I would go a step further and ask why more overseas Indians should not return home to join politics and public life as they are increasingly doing in business and academia."

The law ministry is currently working on amending the definition of the Indian citizen in the Representation of Peoples Act from the current "ordinary resident" to a term that includes those living overseas.

Voting rights could be extended to Indian passport holders while holders of Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) cards would not be eligible. "We seek the active involvement of overseas Indian communities in accelerating the pace of our economic and social development," Singh said.

He also promised a social security net for overseas Indians to tide over economic distress -- an assurance clearly motivated by the concern for NRIs, many of whom have been hit hard by the global economic downturn.

Describing India as a "slow moving elephant", he said, "I recognise the frustration well-wishers feel when they lament why things don't work faster or why well formulated plans and policies don't get implemented as well as they should be." This was a price India paid for its inclusive approach, but that was a price worth paying, he added. "It is equally true that with each step forward we leave behind a deep imprint. Underlying our system is an inherent political and economic resilience that gives our country and its institutions great strength and buoyancy."

Singh called on the Indian diaspora to step up their investments in India, asking them to take a "careful look" at the country of their origin. He pointed out that he expected India would clock 9-10% growth in a couple of years on the back of a strong economic revival.

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, speaking to the same audience a couple of hours later, said the economy was now looking up as stimulus given by the government had started paying dividend. He said the economy could clock a growth of 7.75% this fiscal.

In the wake of attacks on Indians in Australia, Singh said security of Indian students and workers abroad was top priority of the government. "The security of our overseas workers and students is a top priority of my government," he said.

In a recent statement, the ministry of external affairs had said, "It is a matter of concern that in spite of serious and concerted efforts by the Australian government to deal with this issue to address our concerns, these attacks are continuing, and have even resulted in fatalities."

Swadesh Chatterjee, a prominent leader in the Indian American community, and a member of the PM's newly constituted Global Advisory Council, said he felt very encouraged by the PM's remarks, specially that he recognised the need to retain the connections with the second generation of immigrants.

The PM said, "We seek the active involvement of overseas Indian communities in accelerating the pace of our economic and social development. In this context, it is important that we make efforts to connect the second generation of overseas Indians with their ancestral heritage and involve them actively."

Some 1,500 delegates from 50-plus countries are attending the conclave that the country hosts annually to connect with its 25 million diaspora in 130 countries.