Indian non-governmental diasporic awards
Encyclopedia
This article refers to awards presented to members of the Indian diaspora
by non-governmental organisations.
by the Indian government) are an important factor not only for the Indian economy, but also for the international political aspirations of the country. Today, the Indian state is well aware of this, and takes pains to forge and maintain ties that bind such persons to India, and help in harnessing their efforts and capabilities for the country. Some well-known measures are a Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs
, the institution of the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) and the periodically held Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
.
But it was only relatively late that the Indian government fully realized the potential of the Indian diaspora
and began taking measures accordingly. Before that, since at least the 1980s, it had been mostly private, voluntary organisations attempting to create and maintain bonds between India and the Indian diaspora that filled the gap the state left. Perhaps the most effective means these organisations adopted was to create and bestow awards
to prominent members of the diaspora for outstanding achievements, particularly for achievements in the cause of Indian interests or the strengthening of ties between India and the state of domicile. The goodwill and bonding which this generated was so evident that the Indian government in 2003 finally introduced its own award, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
.
This Indian experience constitutes a rare case of private effort initiating policy steps usually in the domain of the state. On the one hand this relatively late entry of the state has led, more or less by default, to involvement of prominent persons of public life, including acting and former high office holders at both the national and regional levels, with the efforts of several of the private organisations – as their members, advisors or patrons, or officiating at award distribution ceremonies. This peculiar merger of private endeavor and public office has played a major role in making some of these awards prominent and also prestigious.
and the International Biographical Centre
.
This makes it difficult to correctly evaluate all awards aimed at the Indian diaspora. Even expecting an awardee to bear certain expenses is not a dependable criterion. There are, for instance, highly prestigious awards – even some awarded by national governments, such as the Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany (Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland) – for which a fee is expected to be paid by the recipient. Further, awards may be presented in the course of a conference or gala with paid attendance, which in the absence of award sponsors and the perceived necessity of creating a festive atmosphere for the award ceremony
may be viewed as a sensible proposition.
In such a state of affairs, the only yardstick which can be effectively applied for measuring the value of an award seems to consist of public perception and prominent association. If public, and maybe even official, media regularly and overwhelmingly label an award prestigious, then such prestigiousness must be held to be established. And if prominent persons in the limelight, particularly those who hold or held political office, are openly associated with a society or its awards, then it may be assumed that they do so also with an eye towards the public acclaim, as otherwise such association would not be attractive to them.
Apart from these two rival organisations, there are also a few others which are less known, but nevertheless fit the above criteria. These are
Diaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
by non-governmental organisations.
Objectives and Private Enterprise
Persons of Indian origin residing outside India (officially referred to as Non-resident Indians and Persons of Indian OriginNon-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin
A Non-Resident Indian is an Indian citizen who has migrated to another country, a person of Indian origin who is born outside India, or a person of Indian origin who resides permanently outside India. Other terms with the same meaning are overseas Indian and expatriate Indian...
by the Indian government) are an important factor not only for the Indian economy, but also for the international political aspirations of the country. Today, the Indian state is well aware of this, and takes pains to forge and maintain ties that bind such persons to India, and help in harnessing their efforts and capabilities for the country. Some well-known measures are a Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs
Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs
The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs is part of the government of India. The ministry, as of May 2008, is headed by Vayalar Ravi.Its website states:...
, the institution of the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) and the periodically held Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas , is celebrated in India on 9 January each year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of India. The day commemorates the arrival of Mahatama Gandhi in India from South Africa...
.
But it was only relatively late that the Indian government fully realized the potential of the Indian diaspora
Diaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
and began taking measures accordingly. Before that, since at least the 1980s, it had been mostly private, voluntary organisations attempting to create and maintain bonds between India and the Indian diaspora that filled the gap the state left. Perhaps the most effective means these organisations adopted was to create and bestow awards
Award
An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
to prominent members of the diaspora for outstanding achievements, particularly for achievements in the cause of Indian interests or the strengthening of ties between India and the state of domicile. The goodwill and bonding which this generated was so evident that the Indian government in 2003 finally introduced its own award, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman is an award constituted by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India in conjunction with the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas , to honor exceptional and meritorious contribution in their chosen field/profession...
.
This Indian experience constitutes a rare case of private effort initiating policy steps usually in the domain of the state. On the one hand this relatively late entry of the state has led, more or less by default, to involvement of prominent persons of public life, including acting and former high office holders at both the national and regional levels, with the efforts of several of the private organisations – as their members, advisors or patrons, or officiating at award distribution ceremonies. This peculiar merger of private endeavor and public office has played a major role in making some of these awards prominent and also prestigious.
Difficulties of categorisation
On the other hand, the unregulated nature of this non-state activity has also resulted in an absence of publicly available clear criteria for award decisions, in a lack of accountability, and in opacity – particularly since a comprehensive overview of who has been awarded, and for what, is difficult, and in some cases impossible, to obtain. The awarding bodies also often seem amorphous because it is difficult to gain clear data on them. All this has allowed actors not interested in the objectives detailed above, but having business interests, to enter this stage with vanity awards reminiscent of the model adopted by the American Biographical InstituteAmerican Biographical Institute
The American Biographical Institute is a paid-inclusion biographical reference directory publisher based in Raleigh, North Carolina which has been publishing biographies since 1967...
and the International Biographical Centre
International Biographical Centre
The International Biographical Centre is a publisher owned by Melrose Press Ltd that specializes in producing biographical publications, such as the Dictionary of International Biography and other awards. It is based in Ely, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom...
.
This makes it difficult to correctly evaluate all awards aimed at the Indian diaspora. Even expecting an awardee to bear certain expenses is not a dependable criterion. There are, for instance, highly prestigious awards – even some awarded by national governments, such as the Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany (Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland) – for which a fee is expected to be paid by the recipient. Further, awards may be presented in the course of a conference or gala with paid attendance, which in the absence of award sponsors and the perceived necessity of creating a festive atmosphere for the award ceremony
Award ceremony
An awards ceremony is an event and television programming genre where an award, of any type, is given to a person or people. Ceremonies are usually held at night, with guests wearing formal gowns and suits. They also usually have a host, with many categories for the awards. In the event that there...
may be viewed as a sensible proposition.
In such a state of affairs, the only yardstick which can be effectively applied for measuring the value of an award seems to consist of public perception and prominent association. If public, and maybe even official, media regularly and overwhelmingly label an award prestigious, then such prestigiousness must be held to be established. And if prominent persons in the limelight, particularly those who hold or held political office, are openly associated with a society or its awards, then it may be assumed that they do so also with an eye towards the public acclaim, as otherwise such association would not be attractive to them.
Prominent awarding bodies and awards
When such criteria are applied, then the two organisations which clearly stand out are- the NRI Welfare Society of India, whose major award is the Hind RattanHind RattanName of an Indian non-governmental diasporic award given yearly to about 30 members of the worldwide Indian diaspora by the NRI Welfare Society of India , at a ceremony in connection with the yearly...
award, and - the India International Friendship SocietyIndia International Friendship SocietyThe India International Friendship Society is a prominent – though not the only – voluntary organisation seeking to strengthen the ties between India and the international Indian diaspora in the hopes of utilising their potential for the benefit of the country, and at the same to build bridges of...
, whose major award is the Glory of India award.
Apart from these two rival organisations, there are also a few others which are less known, but nevertheless fit the above criteria. These are
- the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin, whose major award is the Pravasi Bharatiya Community Service AwardPravasi Bharatiya Community Service AwardThe Pravasi Bharatiya Community Service Award is an Indian non-governmental diasporic award granted annually by the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin , to honour persons of Indian ancestry for their contributions to countries they are members of.One of the 2004 awards went to Mahendra...
, - the NRI Institute awarding the NRI Institute Award, and
- the Canada India FoundationCanada India FoundationThe Canada India Foundation also referred to as CIF, is a Canadian non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization established in 2007...
, whose chief award is the Canada India Foundation ("CIF") Chanchlani Global Indian Award awarded to an Indian or person of Indian origin residing in or outside India. - India Empire, a magazine for and of the Indian diaspora, has instituted the India Empire NRI Award.