Suriname Prez Santokhi arrives in India to attend Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi on Saturday arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.

Santokhi is on a 7-day visit to India from January 7 to 14.

He will be the Special Guest of Honour at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention 2023 in Madhya Pradesh's Indore.

Chandrikapersad Santokhi will visit Jamnagar on Saturday.

After his visit to Jamnagar, he will go to Indore, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a media advisory on Friday.

During his visit, Santokhi will hold a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on January 8.

On January 9, he will attend the inaugural session of the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention 2023 in Madhya Pradesh's Indore.

He will make an address at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention 2023. Furthermore, he will hold a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Chandrikapersad Santokhi will also hold a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu on January 10.

He will attend the valedictory session and the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards ceremony. He will attend the programme in Indore on January 11, as per the media advisory.

On January 12, he will travel to Ahmedabad to attend various programmes. He will return to New Delhi on January 13 and participate in various events. He is scheduled to depart from India on January 14.

Notably, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) provides an important platform to engage and connect with overseas Indians and to enable the diaspora to interact with each other.

The 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is being organized in partnership with the Madhya Pradesh government from January 8-10 in Indore, Prime Minister's office said in a press release.

The theme of this PBD Convention is "Diaspora: Reliable partners for India's progress in Amrit Kaal." Over 3,500 diaspora members from around 70 countries have registered for the PBD Convention, according to the press release.

On January 8, the inauguration of the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Australian Member of Parliament Zaneta Mascarenhas will be the Guest of Honour at the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

On January 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention.

The convention will feature an address by the Chief Guest Guyana President Mohamed Irfaan Ali and the Special Guest of Honour, Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi.

A Commemorative Postal Stamp 'Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen' will be released to highlight the importance of safe, legal, orderly and skilled migration, according to the press release.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first-ever digital Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Exhibition on the theme "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav - Contribution of Diaspora in Indian Freedom Struggle" to showcase the contribution of diaspora freedom fighters in India's Independence.

Furthermore, a special town hall will be held in view of India's ongoing presidency of the G20 on January 9. On January 10, President Droupadi Murmu will confer Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2023 and preside over the valedictory session.