by Moiz Mannan
We’ve been talking about how the present general elections in India have whipped up more than the usual quantum of enthusiasm and interest among overseas Indians. Now, let’s take a closer look at why and also try and understand the stakes that non-resident Indians (NRIs) have in the governance of their homeland.
Over the past few years, particularly as the process of the opening up of the Indian economy has gathered steam, an increasing number of economists and sociologists have pointed towards the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots. Symbolically, they’ve begun to speak of the divide between “Bharat” (mainly villagers and urban poor) and “India” (the upwardly mobile and growing middle class).
Outbound migration over a period has reflected this economic divide and studies have suggested that the “Bharat vs India” phenomenon exists also among the Indian expats living and working abroad. This is slightly different from the blue and white collar divide that we’re familiar with. In that, there is a stronger social element to it than a purely economic angle.
Further, over the past few years we have seen a change in the nature of manpower India has exported particularly to the West, mainly as a result of the software boom and the more recent sub-prime economic crisis in the US. We also have some statistics to indicate a negative growth in the number of Indian workers migrating to the Gulf region, simultaneous with a whopping increase in the number of Indian expats in the Gulf wanting to move on to destinations such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
One of the features of this change in the patterns, character and composition of migrants has been that Indians are increasingly gaining in esteem across the globe. Whether it is as doctors and nurses, software engineers, business executives or academics, the rise of India on the world stage has positively affected the image of its people abroad. All this is not lost on the migrants themselves. The co-relation between their country’s progress and their own chances overseas is clear to most.
Then again, for those who’ve settled abroad for longer periods – particularly those categorised as Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) – have developed a renewed interest in India as an investment destination. Even the NRIs, including those in the Gulf, have seen their remittance money grow faster in India over the past few years than by comparison in their host countries.
All this has given the diaspora a first hand taste of how their homeland’s fortunes can affect theirs. As one scans the innumerable social media posts and blogs as well as media reportage of NRI reactions from different parts of the world, it becomes clear that they feel their stakes are higher now than ever before.
So, even if they’ve not gone to the extent of flying down to India to vote or campaign in the ongoing general elections, they’re closely involved as lobbies, groups and associations and as individuals.
A good example is an open letter published in the UK’s Independent newspaper by a group of 75 professors and academics saying that the idea of Narendra Modi ascending to power fills them with “dread.”
“As the people of India vote to elect their next government, we are deeply concerned at the implications of a Modi-led BJP government for democracy, pluralism and human rights in India,” the letter said. Britain’s other leading paper, the Guardian, had earlier published a similar open letter by Indian-origin author Salman Rushdie and artist Anish Kapoor.
There have been reports of other non-partisan NRI groupings expressing concern on this count, fearing that the image that a Modi-led India would acquire abroad would not bode well for Indian expatriates.
Another section of NRIs are interested in the elections because Modi’s coming to power they feel would boost the economy. Even though there is not too much difference between the Congress and BJP manifestos with regard to foreign direct investment policies, the pro-business image of the Gujarat Chief Minister is seen as a positive for India’s image abroad as an investment destination.
In fact, it was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the architect of India’s economic liberalisation, who had emphatically noted that the diaspora’s engagement with India has grown multifaceted as the country is changing. In a speech at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the former finance minister, Dr Singh, had said that this significant change was “not always evident to those who do not see the big picture”. The country’s economy has gained depth and scale. The Indian industry has developed a global orientation. The industry’s dynamism and the country’s success in technology have given the world a new look of India and the desire to engage with it.
The most important factor, though, that from all accounts weighs on the collective mind of the diaspora is corruption and mis-governance. Despite bringing India to a stage where it is poised to shoot up to global leadership, the Congress has been bogged down by scams and accusations of “policy paralysis.”
The Aam Admi among the NRIs, who has less interest in FDI policies and more in interest rates and customs regulations, who has to grease palms for any official work every time he visits home, and who feels completely insecure abroad without a safety net provided by the government, is in a state of disdain. Most of these people were those rooting for the Aam Admi Party (AAP) of Arvind Kejriwal.
For them, their stake in India’s governance means a clean and efficient administration that would make them feel welcome and their families back home secure. In sum, the “Bharat” as well as the “India” among overseas Indians are looking forward to change.
The Peninsula
