Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to Be Held at Varanasi in 2019

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) will be held at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh from Jan. 21 to 23, 2019. The Indian diaspora will be given the option to participate in Kumbh snan in Allahabad and witness the Republic Day parade on Jan. 26 in New Delhi.

Varanasi is also the parliamentary constituency of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will inaugurate the PBD convention.

The theme for next year’s event, being organized by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in association with the state government of Uttar Pradesh, is “Role of Indian Diaspora in building a New India.”

The chief guest for the event is the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth.

United States Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard will be a part of the event. She will attend the youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on Jan. 21, 2019 along with Indian-origin politicians Himanshu Gulati from Norway, and Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi from New Zealand.

Special arrangements will be made for those interested in taking part in the Ardh Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, which starts on Jan. 15 and ends on March 4, 2019. A special train will bring back the delegation to New Delhi by Jan. 25 so that they can attend the Republic Day celebration on Jan. 26, 2019, according to a statement by the Indian embassy in Germany.

Other details of the event are being worked out, Anurag Kumar, Indian embassy’s Minister (Personnel & Community Affairs) at Washington DC, told a group of eminent Indian-American leaders from Washington, Maryland and Virginia, according to the Press Trust of India. Kumar was speaking at a reception organized for him by the National Community of Asian Indian Associations in collaboration with other community organizations, including Associations of Indian Muslims, Aligarh Alumni Association, Indian Cultural Coordination Committee, Sewa and Tamil Sangam of Greater Washington.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is observed on Jan. 9 to commemorate the return of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi from South Africa to India. Until now, it was celebrated between Jan. 7 and 9. However, the date of the event was shifted for 2019 to accommodate the wishes of the Indian diaspora, who have shown interest in attending the Ardh Kumbh and the Republic Day, according to the Indian embassy’s statement.

In 2016, the Indian government decided to make it a biennial event. The 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held during Jan. 7-9, 2017 at Bengaluru in Karnataka.

Apart from the biennial event, the MEA organizes Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (RPBD) periodically outside India to connect with the diaspora in specific regions. The Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, held on Jan. 6-7, 2018 at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, was attended by PIO delegations from ASEAN countries.