New Delhi: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has called upon the Indian Diaspora to effectively counter false propaganda and negative narrative about India, particularly in the wake of the recent reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir State.

Speaking after releasing the Coffee Table Book titled ‘Glorious Diaspora- Pride of India’ containing brief profiles of the recipients of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards from 2003 to 2019 in New Delhi, he said the overseas Indians must create awareness in the countries of their stay that the dilution of Article 370 was purely an internal administrative measure and aimed at accelerating the development of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

It has nothing to do with religion and any such false propaganda should be rebutted, he added.

Cautioning that some vested interests at times spread a lot of disinformation about India in the western media by portraying a negative image, Naidu said “ a few isolated incidents are used to spin fictitious narratives that intolerance, religious and social disharmony are on the rise in India”.

The Pravasi Bharatiyas must effectively counter such falsehoods and project the correct image of India, especially on the harmonious co-existence of the people belonging to all religions and various social groups, the Vice President added.

Describing the Indian Diaspora as ambassadors of India’s great culture, heritage and its intrinsic values of humanism, the Vice President lauded their contributions for the welfare of the nation through their philanthropic and charitable work.

Observing that giving back to the society was key element of Indian philosophy, the Vice President asked the diaspora to contribute towards India’s growth story through greater participation in the areas of education, health, and agriculture. He urged them to become partners in programmes such as Swachh Bharat, Clean Ganga, Make in India, Digital India, and Skill India and strengthen them.

Naidu appreciated the Indian Diaspora Club for bringing out the book. He said that since the launch of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) in 2003, many deserving people of Indian origin from around the world have been honoured–they include politicians, business leaders, scientists, economists and artists from around the world.