13 NRIs honored at PBD meet in Chennai
Thirteen eminent overseas
Indians, including noted management
guru C.K. Prahlad and
Suriname Vice President
Ramdien Sarjdoe, were conferred
the Pravasi Bharatiya
Samman at the conclusion of India’s threeday
annual convention to connect with its
diaspora.
President Pratibha Patil presented the
medallion and citation to them during the
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. Following is the list
of awardees with brief profiles: Ramdien Sardjoe: The vice president of
Suriname, he founded the Hindustani
Navyuvak Sabha in 1953 and has been the
chair since 2001 of the United Reformed
Party, the main party of Indians in the country.
He is also patron of several cultural and
philanthropic organisations in Suriname.
Angidi Veeriah Chettiar: The vice president
of Mauritius, he has been closely associated
with the Labour Party in the country.
Chettiar was also a close confidant of Sir
Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, the father of the
Mauritian nation and its first prime minister.
He also served the post-independence governments
as a minister.
Soman Baby: Associate editor of Gulf
Daily News, he has been recognized for portraying
India in a positive light in the Gulf
through his writings. Baby is also the
founder-member of the Bahrain-India
Society and involved with several philanthropic
and cultural societies in Bahrain. He
is also the author of “Shukran Bahrain” that
records the progress made in the Gulf nation
over the past 25 years and the contributions
made by Indians in the development.
Deepak Obhrai: Member of Canadian
parliament and parliamentary secretary to the
minister of foreign affairs, he was instrumental
in setting up the Canada-India
Parliamentary Friendship Group in 2003. He
has also been recognized for his contributions
in strengthening Indo-Canadian ties and in serving the interests of the Indian community in the North American country.
Ylias Akbaraly: A prominent businessman
in Madagascar, he has been a strong lobbyist
for India in the African island nation.
He also set up a charitable institution called
the Akbaraly Foundation, which focused on
promoting education and health not just
among members of the Indian diaspora but
also the Malagasy people.
G. Vadiveloo: The only Malaysian-
Indian to be elected president of the country’s
Senate, he chairs the disciplinary committee
and serves as a permanent speaker of the
Malaysian Indian Congress. He was instrumental
in implementing the Bukit Cheraka
Land Scheme in Subang for displaced estate
workers and obtained land for poor and landless
Indians in the country. He has always
fought for the rights of workers and has been
legal advisor for several large trade unions,
besides being a patron of the famous Sri
Mahamariamman Temple.
Ram Lakhina: His efforts and networking
at bringing intellectuals among the Indian
diaspora on various platforms in the
Netherlands has resulted in institutions like
the Global Organisation of People of Indian
Origin, Foundation of Critical Choices for
India and the Netherlands-India Chamber of
Commerce and Trade. He is also chairman of
Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Foundation in
Amsterdam and served the Indo-Dutch
Chamber of Commerce from 1979 to 2001
P.N.C. Menon: A noted philanthropist,
he is engaged in several charitable and social
projects in India, which include a skill development
project in Kerala for the economically
weaker sections of the society. He has also
built a home for senior citizens and widows,
a healthcare centre and an exclusive educational
institution of global standards for
underprivileged children.
Parmananthan Prema Naidoo: A leading
figure in the struggle against apartheid in
South Africa, he upheld the Gandhian principles
of truth and non-violence. Naidoo is a
member of the Mayoral Committee for Environment in Johannesburg. Postapartheid,
he has been at the forefront in giving
a political voice to the Indian community
in Johannesburg and neighboring areas
J.R. Hangaramani: Founder of the
Indian Business and Professional Group in
Abu Dhabi, which promotes trade between
India and the UAE, he has also been involved
in various philanthropic and charitable activities.
He has also been involved in getting
employment of thousands of Indian workers,
sponsoring social and cultural activities and
promoting awareness among the Indian
workers in the UAE. His R.P. Gangaramani
Charitable Trust in Mumbai provides assistance
for education and vocational training to
the downtrodden
Baroness Shreela Halther:Amember of
the British House of Lords, she is the first
ethnic minority woman to become a councilor
in UK and the first woman to become
the mayor of Windsor and Maidenhead in
1986. She has also been vocal in protecting
the rights of ethnic minorities and has forceful
in projecting India’s viewpoints in various
national and international forums.
C.K. Prahlad: Professor at the
University of Michigan’s Business School,
he is considered among the best thinkers in
the area of business. Prahlad has been prolific
in the areas of management, perceptions
and strategies. He has also maintained his
deep interest in the world’s poor and has
authored “Fortune at the Bottom of the
Pyramid”. He was named one of the top 10
teachers in the world by the Wall Street
Journal.
Sumit Ganguly: Professor of political
science at Indiana University, he serves on
the editorial board of the Journal of Strategic
Studies, Asian Affairs, Asian Survey, Current
History and Security Studies. He also made a
significant contribution to a better understanding
of India in the US with his columns
in newspapers like the Wall Street Journal,
Financial Times and Newsweek. He is also
member of the Council of Foreign Relations
in New York.
BY MADHU PATEL
