By Marlan Padayachee
POST PRESENTATION PAPER AND REPORT-BACK DOCUMENT TO THE INDIAN CONSUL-GENERAL, HIS EXCELLENCY, MR ANIL SHARAN, ON THE OCCASION OF THE PARTICIPATION AT THE PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS IN NEW DELHI, INDIA, 7-9 JANUARY 2011, BY COUNCILLOR FAWZIA PEER
CITY COUNCLLOR AND CHIEF WHIP OF THE ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY, CITY OF DURBAN, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
26TH January 2011
The Honourable Mr Anil Sharan
Consul-General
Government of India
City of Durban
Republic of South Africa
Dear Mr Sharan,
On behalf of the eThekwini Municipality and the people of the City of Durban, I extend our traditional greetings of Assalamu Alaikum, Vannakam, Namaste, Namaskarumu, Sawubona, Saniboni, and Molweni.
I also take this opportunity of conveying our felicitations and compliments of the season for the New Year to you, your family and your colleagues in the consular staff at the Durban Consulate of the Government of India.
This communiqué serves to confirm and record my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to you and your colleagues in the Government of India in New Delhi for the heartwarming hospitality, courtesy and high levels of protocol that was accorded to me in my capacity as the Chief Whip representing the Mayor of Durban, His Worship, Councillor Obed Mlaba, the eThekwini Municipality and the citizens of Durban during my participation at the 8th annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held recently in the capital city of the world’s largest democracy.
I also convey the similar sentiments and gratitude of my husband, Dr Peer, who had thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated pukka Indian hospitality.
I humbly salute you for your personal role and responsibility in ensuring that our visit to your ancient land of cultures and cuisines, and our attendance at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, was made all the more special and extraordinary through a programme of homemade hospitality and the humaneness of your peace-loving compatriots.
I was most heartened and delighted by the overall high standard of reception we had received in what will go down as one of our most memorable visits in recent years.
I was therefore most pleased to have represented our city and municipality at the Pravasi Bharitaya Divas, which provided some fascinating insights about the power of partnerships and the social networking of Indian communities living and working in diverse countries around the world, and yet all of us of Indian origin were sentimentally drawn to the magnetism of the beauty and splendor of India.
Furthermore, I was impressed by the amazing spirit of humanity and goodwill that prevailed over the symbolic meeting that brought together some of the most remarkable examples of Indians who have made spectacular strides in their field of business and expertise outside their motherland.
It was encouraging to note that both our countries share a common legacy of having being inspired by the teachings, principles, ethics, integrity and wisdom of one of the world’s iconic pacifists and peace gurus, the legendary Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, in our respective quest for freedom, human dignity, social justice and economic empowerment.
I was therefore particularly thrilled to have been part of a celebration that paid homage to the arrival of Gandhiji in India after having spent 21 years in South Africa, where he had helped to shape our political resistance to colonial-apartheid’s autocratic rule over the indigenous people of my country, including the 1860 Indian indentured labourers who faced the same racial and human rights discrimination meted out to our African, Coloured and Chinese compatriots.
Reflecting on my personal experience and interaction with fellow delegates at this world platform of Indians, I am therefore pleased that droves of South Africans of Indian origin have continued to attend the annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas ever since the inaugural gathering of people of Indian origin took place in New Delhi in 2003.
I am overwhelmed that there has always been a strong participation by many of our leaders, entrepreneurs, academic, religious and cultural personalties, in the main, from Durban to this prestigious conference.
The high quality of the speakers and presenters and the diverse range of topics and themes have provided invaluable insights for me to ensure that Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will always enjoy the full support and goodwill of our municipality and citizens.
The collective pool of the knowledge economy and the human resources capital from the diverse delegations will certainly serve not only to guide the high standards of future conferences, but also contributes as communication tools, templates, texts and referencing point for a myriad of topics and themes that makes up the three-day programme of debates and discourses centred on the future and wellbeing of Indians.
We therefore owe a debt of gratitude to the visionaries behind the LM Singhvi Committee on the Indian Diaspora for having pioneered this celebration of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas as a global gathering of Indians while honouring the priceless life’s work of Gandhiji on the 9th of January each year.
This conference is unique, in that it may be the only gathering of nationals and expatriates that come together on a prestige platform and programme that recognizes the contributions of individuals of Indian origin who are honoured for exceptional merit and outstanding achievement in their field and profession.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards ceremony also serves as a classic example of how a nation can truly recognise and honour its nationals at home or abroad.
Developing democracies like South Africa can also learn from the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas that also focuses on issues and concerns that people of the diaspora face in their adopted countries, and how this programme of discourse and debate motivates people of Indian origin to assimilate to the local conditions on a socio-economic and political levels of their host adopted countries while maintaining strong linkages with India without losing touch with their motherland.
The high-level participation and support of the Government of India, the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry further enhances the scope and uniqueness of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas as a broad-based social networking, business, cultural and investment facilitation platform for overseas Indians.
I am therefore impressed that an event of this high calibre, capacity and standard can only strengthen ties between India, the diaspora or non-resident communities and the people of Durban and South Africa as we embark on a journey to turn our regions into the new frontiers of economic growth, social cohesion and political stability.
Within this context, it is encouraging to note that that Durban enjoys a twinning sister-city relationship with Mumbai, and until recently the City of Chennai. It is matter of time before we embark on linking Durban to Delhi, thereby making this famous and historic host city our next port of call in our ongoing, cordial social, economic and political relations between the citizens of Durban and the people of these major Indian cities and India as a whole.
I had certainly left the conference, and as well as the culturally-enhancing melting pot that symbolizes all that is India, a much wiser and inspired visitor, delegate and friend of the people of India.
Outside the conference, we were accorded a right royal reception by support staff that ensured that the comfort and convenience of visit was not going to be compromised right down to the finest details.
The services of a professional and knowledgeable chauffeur further served to accentuate our personal joy of savouring sumptuous cuisines, old-fashioned courtesy and protocol that Indians excel in as our trip transformed into a home-from-home experience of note.
I must compliment you and the support team for the choice of superb and splendid hotels that made our stay most pleasant and unforgettable, for which we are truly grateful and thankful for.
India is a vast spectrum of cultures and a land of a multitude of languages and dialects, and our interaction with the local people brings home our attention to the importance of mother languages in India and the Indian Diaspora and the revival of ancestral languages.
The sights and sounds of India today, its beliefs and physical and economic landscapes further enriched our exploits of some of breathtaking sight-seeing landmarks.
We were taken into the labyrinthine world of Delhi’s old and the new metropolis, and other surrounding towns and villages, where some of the secrets and riches of incredible India reside.
Our sight-seeing programme was a breathtaking experience, further revealing the ancient secrets and romanticism of India. We were particularly awestruck by the majestic beauty and magnificence of the Akshardham Hindu temple complex in Delhi.
The Swaminarayan Akshardham is one of the wonders that are a repository for traditional Indian and Hindu culture, spirituality, and architecture.
We were enchanted to learn about how culture of Gandhian-inspired volunteerism involving 3 000 men and women who gave their labour of love to help 7 000 artisans to construct this holy shrine that stands as a lasting legacy to Pramukh Swami Maharaj, spiritual head of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, whose footprints are etched in a temple in London.
As a representative of a multicultural city, the tourism dimension of this holy place of worship will certainly encourage Durban to further enhance our catalogue of ancient temples, churches and synagogues that stand side by side in our local landscape.
Crafted wholly of stone, the central monument highlights the life and times of Swaminarayan and the timeless mystique of India, and beautifully enhanced by a musical fountain and landscaped gardens would surely rate as an ‘out of the world’ spectacle.
Another highlight deserves mentioning is our visit to the Kingdom of Dreams and our sheer joy and excitement at the extravagant offerings of the theme-based entertainment experiences that brought to life India’s cultural diversity, and an ambitious architectural project that blends a choreography of traditional Indian performing arts, entertainment and cultural heritage.
Durban could learn lessons from India’s portfolio of tourism landmarks and we are encouraged by the potential to open a gateway for South Africans to visit the treasure troves of an ancient civilization steeped in tradition, culture, hospitality and humanity.
In the final analysis, India’s humanity and humility left me humbled, but inspired to spread the word of a democracy where peace, respect and tolerance reign supreme, and work harder towards sharing the knowledge and experience gained at the conference with my fellow colleagues, compatriots and comrades as we prepare for another milestone in our developing democracy, the 2011 local government elections in a few month’s time.
Once again, we are eternally grateful to you and the Government of India for blessing our passage to India with your friendship, grace and charm.
We thank you.
Yours sincerely
Councillor Fawzia Peer
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