Lord Rami Ranger, from the U.K., shared his inspiring life-story with the panel. He narrated the sacrifice of his late father for the spirit of freedom in India, the hardships faced by his mother in bringing up her sons, and his struggles in the U.K. He recounted his journey into the political corridors in Britain. He stressed the importance of values and ethos in navigating the political waters. He was thankful that his mother had instilled such values in him from a very early age. “Politics is a necessity, not a choice anymore,” noted Lord Ranger. He narrated how his works with the Conservative Party in England have been instrumental in the empowerment of underrepresented sections of the society in the U.K.

Mr Ashook Ramsaran, from New York, took the opportunity to congratulate the recent Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardee, Mr Jean Regis, from Reunion Island. He lauded the Government of India’s sustained efforts in fighting the pandemic. Mr Ramsaran expressed solidarity with the families stricken by Covid-19. He requested all participants in the meeting to observe a moment of silence in honour of the departed souls. Mr Ramsaran also echoed the concerns tabled in the conclave regarding the altered nature of diaspora relations. He highlighted the contributions of erstwhile ambassador, Dr Malay Mishra, in promoting diaspora connect. Mr Ramsaran tabled questions to the panel regarding the perception of the global Indian Diaspora in the context of the definitions around NRI, PIO, and OCI.