Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), May 27: The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has said the government is committed to the welfare of the Indian communities living in Tanzania and other parts of the world.
Addressing the Indian community in Dar es Salaam on Thursday, Dr. Singh said: “The Indian government has set up a ministry to look after the interest of overseas Indians.”
“Our government is deeply committed to the welfare and prosperity of the Indian community in Tanzania. We have created a separate Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to look after the welfare of the Indian community overseas and to facilitate their participation in the socio-economic growth processes in India,” he said.
“The government has taken several initiatives such as establishment of the Overseas Indian Community Welfare Fund and the Overseas Indians Facilitation Centre. The Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas has become an effective platform for reaching out to our overseas community,” he added.
Lauding the Indian community for their achievements, Dr. Singh said:“ I am confident that each one of you will serve as a bridge of friendship between India and Tanzania.I hope the Indian Cultural Centre in Dar es Salaam, which has opened recently, will provide a platform for children, families and others to preserve and promote our cultural traditions.
“Indian expatriates, who first came as teachers and experts, and who now come as professionals and skilled craftsmen, have found Tanzania a rich and welcoming society, with many commonalities with India. Their numbers have grown and are indicative of our deep bonds of friendship.They symbolize the contemporary face of our civilizational and historical linkages with Tanzania and with East Africa as a whole,” he added.
He said the fact that Indians and Indian origin communities like you are living and working in various parts of Africa and helping to create wealth and prosperity is extremely impressive and commendable.
“I wish you all a very bright future in this great land and would urged you to be good Tanzanian citizens, and continue to spread the high values which India is known for,” he added.
—Agencies