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Britain keen to prevent reverse brain drain to India
Published on: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 06:54:36 GMT
The UK is keen to prevent the reverse brain drain of British Indians, who were returning to India to set up businesses, Immigration Minister Tony McNulty has said. India has currently become the most attractive destination and "our efforts are to prevent bright Indians youths from leaving this country. We want them to contribute to the growth of this country," he said at a Republic Day reception hosted by the Hindu Council of Britain at Malabar Junction here last night.
A friend of India, McNulty spoke highly of the giant strides India has made during the last few years and hailed the strong links between the two countries in various fields.
He also referred to his visit to Gujarat two years after the earthquake and how buoyantly the people of the state had recovered from the natural disaster and rebuilt their lives.
Ranjan Mathai, Deputy High Commissioner of India, pointed to the rapid growth of India and said according to the current estimate the country would be one of the three largest economies of the world by 2030.
Lord Navnit Dholakia, Deputy Leader of Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords and a leading NRI said "India is not only the largest democracy but the most mature democracy.
"The East India Company went to India for trade and ruled the country for over 250 years. Now things have changed and Indians who have come and settled down here are paying our debts by building a society within which we can be equals.
Anil Bhanot, Secretary General of the Council, said "it would be wonderful if we could have a Pashupatinath Temple in Britain in a smaller scale than the one in Kathmandu" while B M Gupta, another senior official, said the Council planned to bring Indian culture to Britain through a Museum of Dolls. Ambassador Rana of Nepal was also present on the occasion.
Cyriac Maprayil, Director, East London Human Rights Commission, fully shared the British government's commitment to build a diverse and tolerant British society where every person has an equal chance to achieve his or her potential without fear of prejudice and discrimination.
"Having worked among some of the most diverse and socially excluded communities in Britain, we are well aware of the issues affecting our constituents and the scale of the prejudice, discrimination and deprivation they experience in their everyday lives.
"We are also aware that those who purport to 'represent' these communities are often advancing their own vested interests at the expense of the individuals and groups they claim to speak for," Maprayil said.
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