It is part of the Indian Government’s policy to engage the nation’s eastern states more vigorously in national growth and development. Towards this end, the 18th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) was organised in Bhubaneswar, capital of Odisha. Bhubaneswar itself has grown from a small town of about 30,000 people that became Odisha’s capital in 1949 to a bustling, busy city with an estimated current population of 1.24 million. It was planned by the German architect Otto Königsberger, the man who alongside J R D Tata had carried out the town planning for Jamshedpur, and had also designed the Berlin Olympic Stadium.

Politically, Odisha is highly important for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. It was in June 2024 that BJP won the state Assembly elections for the very first time and snatched the reins of political power from the Biju Janata Dal, ending in the process Naveen Patnaik’s 24-year-old reign in Odisha. The BJP also swept 20 of the 21 Lok Sabha constituencies in the Parliamentary polls held simultaneously with the Assembly elections. That President of India Droupadi Murmu who gave away the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards hails from this state, adds heft to Odisha’s political weft. In short, today the BJP has a position of political dominance in Odisha that was hitherto unknown.

When the Government announced Bhubaneswar as the venue of the PBD, it was a bit late in the day. Considering that the last PBD was held in Indore in January 2023, the announcement confirming Bhubaneswar as the venue came only in October 2024. Only if they are given at least six months to a year to prepare themselves, the actual number of Pravasis who attend the PBD will go up.

In his remarks at the PBD, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke on the 3Ts—Trade, Technology and Tourism—that can bind the Indian Diaspora to Odisha and bring in more investment going forward. Odisha’s response to the responsibility bestowed on it by the centre was top class. The footfalls at the venue in Janata Maidan were impressive. The topics chosen and panelists selected for the five plenary sessions were equally laudable. Almost every Pravasi spoken to by this magazine had complimentary words for the organizers, the cuisine, and the world class cultural and entertainment shows. As a city, Bhubaneswar stood out grandly with special lightings befitting the occasion. Several trips were arranged for delegates in and around the city.

The Pravasis have been courted yet again by India. How they build on this momentum remains to be seen.

Sayantan Chakravarty
sayantanc@gmail.com