Chandigarh, May 20
Former Union Information and Broadcasting Minister and Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari has underscored the pivotal role of the diaspora in shaping global perceptions of India’s democracy, economy, and social harmony. Chairing a key meeting of Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) office bearers at Grand Bawarchi in Sydney, Australia, Tewari urged overseas leaders to deepen outreach among professionals, students and business communities of Indian origin, while strengthening organisational structures, expanding membership drives and harnessing digital platforms for political communication. Tewari emphasized that the diaspora’s insights and policy feedback are vital for bridging grassroots realities in India with global perspectives, making them an indispensable force in the Congress party’s vision for democratic federalism and social cohesion.
Addressing the meeting, Tewari extended heartfelt thanks to Indian Overseas Congress (Australia) president Manoj Sheoran and the office bearers of the IOC, remarking, “I am thankful that despite it being a working day, all of you have come to the meeting. Your presence has given me the invaluable opportunity to share a few issues with you directly, one on one.”
Recalling his connect with Australia, Tewari told the gathering that he first came to Australia in 1992. “It seems like a lifetime ago. There have always been cultural, cricketing, and soft power linkages between India and Australia. For decades, many Australian cricketers have been household names in India,” he said.
Tewari further recalled that during his initial visit, very few people in Australia knew about India. “Thereafter, I had the opportunity to visit Australia many times. By 2009–10, more and more people from India started coming here, and gradually the numbers kept rising. Today, some officials of the Australian government told me that more than 10 lakh Indians are living in Australia. A million people are now working and settled here,” he added.
Tewari also noted that in a short span of time, there has been a very rapid influx of Indians who are doing well, who have integrated and assimilated themselves into Australian society and who have become part of its cultural ethos. “Australia is 2.5 times larger than India but its population is merely 1.97 per cent of India’s. In any society, whenever there is migration from outside, there are naturally issues and teething problems,” he observed, while adding that these are far outweighed by the role the Indian diaspora plays in enriching society.
Meanwhile, on this occasion, Indian Overseas Congress (Australia) president Manoj Sheoran welcomed Tewari and thanked him for the interactive session. During the interaction, Tewari held detailed discussions with the office bearers of the Indian Overseas Congress on strengthening the party’s outreach among the Indian diaspora in Australia. The deliberations largely focused on mobilising overseas Indians and enhancing coordination between the Congress leadership and NRI supporters.
Tewari emphasised the important role played by the overseas Indian community in shaping global opinion about India’s democratic institutions, economy and social harmony. Inputs regarding concerns of the Punjabi and broader Indian diaspora figured prominently during the interaction. Tewari encouraged the overseas leaders to maintain close contact with grassroots Congress workers in India and contribute towards policy feedback by sharing perspectives from global Indian communities.
During the meeting, Tewari was accompanied by senior Congress leader and former Chairman of the Punjab Large Industrial Development Board, Pawan Dewan, Roop Sharma, Gurdeep Singh Walia, and Harsh Walia. The session was attended by Indian Overseas Congress (Australia) president Manoj Sheoran, Indian Overseas Youth Congress (Australia) president Gurjinder Singh Gavy, IOC Punjab Coordinator Preet Bal, Deepak Raj Gupta OAM,Abbas Alvi, Harinder Singh Bhatti, along with the full IOC team. The meet concluded with Indian Overseas Youth Congress (Australia) president Gurjinder Singh Gavy extending thanks to all the dignitaries present.
