Kochi: The 3 Day Convention for celebrating 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas would start today at Hotel Le Meridien, Kochi (Cochin), Kerala . The three day event would be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on January 8 and Mauritius PResident Dr. Rajkeswur Purryag would be the Chief Guest.
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated every year on January 9 to mark the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa.
The 3 day event  will begin today with a session on NRIs in the Gulf. This is the first time an entire session has been dedicated for the NRIs in the Gulf. The theme of the session is to boost economic and social engagement with the diaspora in the Gulf. An ‘India Migration Report 2013’ will be released.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, would  release a stamp on the Gadar movement, a saga of courage, valour and determination of overseas Indians who had gone to Canada and the US either for higher education or for economic opportunities. They became trail blazers of the freedom struggle.
He will also release two publications of Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.
President Pranab Mukherjee will present the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards, the highest honour conferred on overseas Indians, at the valedictory session on January 9.
Besides Singh, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag will be among those addressing the inaugural session.
Over 2,000 delegates from 44 countries are likely to participate in the meet which will commence with a Gulf session tomorrow to discuss the issues being faced by Keralites in the Gulf region.
A host of Union Ministers led by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, Kamalnath, Anand Sharma and Shashi Tharoor will address the sessions. Chief Ministers of six states will also attend.
The PBD oration on January 8 has also been dedicated to the ‘Gadar Movement’.
President Pranab Mukherjee will address the valedictory function on January 9 and present Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards.
The theme of the conference is ‘Engaging Diaspora: The Indian Growth Story’.