Addressing the 10th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Jaipur, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that Non-Resident Indians would be allowed to vote and participate in the election process.
"Pursuant to the law that was enacted to enable non-resident Indians to vote in our national elections, the government has issued notifications for registration of overseas Indians under the Representation of People Act, 1950. This constitutes the first major step to enable Indians resident abroad to participate in our election processes," Dr Singh said.
He
said that the government and people of India recognised and greatly valued the important role being played by Indian communities living abroad. "We believe that the Indian diaspora has much more to contribute to the building of modern India. We propose to facilitate, encourage and promote this engagement. Over the past year we have taken a number of steps towards this end," he said.
Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said nearly 1,900 delegates from almost 60 countries were participating in the annual conclave.
