Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi praises expats living in Oman

New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the Indian diaspora living in Oman who have created important links of trade between the two countries for centuries.

The remarks by PM Modi came during the 116th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat.’

‘Mann Ki Baat is an Indian radio programme hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which he addresses Indians on official radio and television channels.

Since the first show on 3 October 2014, there have been 116 episodes. The main purpose of the programme is to establish a dialogue with the citizens on issues of day-to-day governance. The programme is very apolitical and is India’s first visually enriched radio programme.

On Sunday, Prime Minster Modi spoke about a unique project in Oman where numerous Indian families who have lived in Oman for centuries are having their history preserved.

With the support of the Indian Embassy in Oman and the National Archives of India, a team is working to safeguard the history of these families, collecting documents, with some dating back to 1838.

“You will also find an extraordinary project going on in Oman. Numerous Indian families have been living in Oman for many centuries. Most of them who have settled there are from Kutch in Gujarat. These people had created important links of trade. With the support of the Indian Embassy in Oman and the National Archives of India, a team has started the work of preserving the history of these families,” PM Modi said.

He added, “Thousands of documents have been collected so far under this campaign. These include diaries, account books, ledgers, letters and telegrams. Some of these documents are also from the year 1838. These documents are full of emotions. When they arrived in Oman years ago, what kind of life they led, what kind of joys and sorrows they faced, and how their relations with the people of Oman progressed – all this is part of these documents.”

In his radio show he further highlighted the impact of Indian diaspora in the Caribbean nation of Guyana and said that ‘a Mini India’ also exists in Guyana, where people of Indian origin have become leaders in politics, business, education, and culture.

He said, “A ‘Mini India’ also exists in Guyana, thousands of kilometres away from India. About 180 years ago, people from India were taken to Guyana to work as labourers in the fields and for other work. Today, people of Indian origin in Guyana are leading Guyana in every field of politics, business, education and culture. The President of Guyana, Dr. Irfan Ali, is also of Indian origin and is proud of his Indian heritage.”

He added, “Like Guyana, there are millions of Indians in dozens of countries across the world. Their ancestors from decades past, 200-300 years ago, have their own stories…”

PM Modi also highlighted an effort in Slovakia aimed at preserving and promoting Indian culture and said that for the first time, the Upanishads, ancient Indian texts, have been translated into the Slovak language.

He said, “I have come to know about another such effort being done in Slovakia which is related to preserving and promoting our culture. Here, for the first time, our Upanishads have been translated into the Slovak language. These efforts also show the global influence of Indian culture. It is a matter of pride for all of us that there are crores of people around the world who have India in their hearts.”