 When one hears the Janagana Manah, which Indian soul will not feel a deep sense of pride? When the words, Vande Mataram are uttered, which Indian heart will not be filled with devotion for the Motherland? As a proud messenger of warmth and fond memories from India, Prime Minister Shreem Narendra Modi journeyed across the seas with but one aim, and that was to bolster the pride and prestige of both India and Indians across the world. For the first time ever has the top leadership of the nation formed such a direct connection with the expatriate Indian diaspora. In nation after nation, large or small, developed or developing, the Prime Minister made a difference. He forged new bonds, he brought new life to existing ones, so they become stronger and deeper. No stone was left unturned to showcase India's strength and capabilities to the whole world. But more had to be done after this to closely connect the Indian diaspora with India. The first decision was to involve them more closely in the process of policy formulation. This led to the formation of the Pravasi Bharti Akendra, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister on the 2nd of October 2016. For the first time, brainstorming sessions with active participation of NRIs are being conducted, touching upon a number of areas, the contribution of NRIs to social and economic developmental efforts, better services in trade and commerce, encouraging tourism and the problem of overseas contract labour, especially in ECR nations. But beyond the pride and self-respect of Indians abroad lies the matter of their security and this avenue is being diligently pursued by the Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj. Whenever Indians settled abroad have faced trouble or threatening situations or have been trapped in dangerous places, the Foreign Ministry has swung into mission mode to organize their rescue under the direct supervision of Madam Swaraj. In today's world, a single tweet solves the toughest of problems efficiently and quickly. So whether it was Sushil Kapoor, who was innocent but wrongly accused and imprisoned in an Iranian jail for two years or Naushad Alam who lost all his possessions in Saudi Arabia, whether it was deaf and mute Geeta stuck in Pakistan, Gurpreet Kohar who faced problems while searching for her husband in Germany, Sonu Kotin Bangladesh or Judith Kotin Afghanistan, whose coming home had become next to impossible. All these people have been brought back to India safely by the Government of India. Over the past two years, four major evacuations have been pulled off from international trouble spots. Over 7000 were rescued from Iraq, over 3000 from Libya, 1000 from Ukraine and over 4000 Indians from Yemen. Along with Indians, around 2000 foreign nationals were also evacuated to safety from Yemen. Over 150 Indian nationals were brought back safely home from South Sudan as well. The honour and self-respect of non-resident Indians. The security of non-resident Indians. The contribution by non-resident Indians to India. For the first time in history, the Government of India will be connecting directly with 2.8 crore non-resident Indians. Come, today on Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. Let us celebrate the occasion with a sense of deep pride and an exuberant joy. Jai Hind.