02-05-2005, 10:46 AM
Did you guys know the first Indians who migrated to work, left in the late 19th century? So how do you guys feel about Indians who left India for about 100 years ago? Do they still have the right to call themselves Indians? Here's a article about them.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Diaspora can play a big role in nation building: PM
THE HAGUE: India sees an increasing role for its worldwide diaspora while seeking to build a modern nation and economy that grows at 7-8 per cent a year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here.
"Ãn building our dream I see an increasing role for the world community, particularly overseas Indian community," the prime minister said in an address to representatives of the 220,000-strong Indian community in the Netherlands at a reception hosted by Indian Ambassador Shyamala on Cowsik Sunday night.
"India is open to overseas Indians. Nothing is dearer to us than the overseas Indian community. Take a hard look at India and you will find a lot of opportunities," he added.
Singh is here to attend the India-European Union summit.
The Indian community in the Netherlands account for 1.35 percent of the country's 16.5 million population. <b>A majority of them (200,000) are those who originally migrated from India to Suriname as indentured labour in the late 19th century and later moved to this country.</b> The remaining roughly 20,000 are mostly professionals who migrated in the last 40-50 years.
They are now Dutch citizens and are fully integrated into Dutch society. They are active in all sectors of the local society and economy, particularly in retail trading and middle-level jobs in major cities.
A prominent member of the community, Nirmala Rambocus, is a member of parliament and some others are members of municipal councils.
<b>The Surinamese Indians here are deeply religious, tradition-bound and proud of their Indian heritage. A vast majority of them speak Sarnami Hindi, a mixture of Bhojpuri and Awadhi with a smattering of Dutch and English. </b>
Like with the Indian diaspora elsewhere, Hindi films are popular here too. There are a Surinamese Hindustani TV (Ohm TV) and radio channels, weeklies, newsletters and music bands to keep the cultural and linguistic links with the country of their ancestors. The Surinamese Hindustani organization actively propagates teaching of Hindi.
Manmohan Singh lauded the Surinamese Indians for their enterprise and said their story was one of "unique courage", having migrated from India under "hard conditions."
"They turned that adversity into opportunity," he said and added like them India too was on the move and is today one of the fastest growing economies in the world. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Diaspora can play a big role in nation building: PM
THE HAGUE: India sees an increasing role for its worldwide diaspora while seeking to build a modern nation and economy that grows at 7-8 per cent a year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here.
"Ãn building our dream I see an increasing role for the world community, particularly overseas Indian community," the prime minister said in an address to representatives of the 220,000-strong Indian community in the Netherlands at a reception hosted by Indian Ambassador Shyamala on Cowsik Sunday night.
"India is open to overseas Indians. Nothing is dearer to us than the overseas Indian community. Take a hard look at India and you will find a lot of opportunities," he added.
Singh is here to attend the India-European Union summit.
The Indian community in the Netherlands account for 1.35 percent of the country's 16.5 million population. <b>A majority of them (200,000) are those who originally migrated from India to Suriname as indentured labour in the late 19th century and later moved to this country.</b> The remaining roughly 20,000 are mostly professionals who migrated in the last 40-50 years.
They are now Dutch citizens and are fully integrated into Dutch society. They are active in all sectors of the local society and economy, particularly in retail trading and middle-level jobs in major cities.
A prominent member of the community, Nirmala Rambocus, is a member of parliament and some others are members of municipal councils.
<b>The Surinamese Indians here are deeply religious, tradition-bound and proud of their Indian heritage. A vast majority of them speak Sarnami Hindi, a mixture of Bhojpuri and Awadhi with a smattering of Dutch and English. </b>
Like with the Indian diaspora elsewhere, Hindi films are popular here too. There are a Surinamese Hindustani TV (Ohm TV) and radio channels, weeklies, newsletters and music bands to keep the cultural and linguistic links with the country of their ancestors. The Surinamese Hindustani organization actively propagates teaching of Hindi.
Manmohan Singh lauded the Surinamese Indians for their enterprise and said their story was one of "unique courage", having migrated from India under "hard conditions."
"They turned that adversity into opportunity," he said and added like them India too was on the move and is today one of the fastest growing economies in the world. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->