NRI Sabha: A big name but deviates from objectives
Monday, 21/01/2013
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=60568&boxid=57173&uid=&dat=2013-01-22
Jalandhar : NRI Sabha Punjab, an initiative started 17 years ago, might have earned the name of being a platform for non-resident Indians (NRIs) of Punjab globally but it witnessed a gradual shift from its other key objectives during all these years.
While the problems of NRIs pertaining to land disputes, frauds and fake marriages were taken up in the recent past, the objective of strengthening the ethnic and emotional bonds of NRIs with Punjab through the youth, cultural and spots wings of the Sabha was left in lurch.
Instead, what crept in with the passage of time was political control, despite the fact that NRI Sabha was a non-political organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1996.
Daily Post traversed the journey of NRI Sabha through its founder president, Prem Singh, who was instrumental in floating the idea of setting up a body for the welfare of the NRIs in Jalandhar.
Singh said that the sabha was launched with a view to have a regular feature of NRI youth exchange programmes and sports wings for the participation of not just NRIs but their children too. “We have humble Punjabis from the villages, who went abroad and made it big in life but not all of them could make their access to NRI Sabha. The role of NRI Sabha remained confined to a few countries- the UK, US and the Canada only”, he added.
Interestingly, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal during the recent Parwasi Bhartiya Divas in Jalandhar on January 5 had stated that the government would introduce ‘Youth Exchange’ programme for the NRI youth of the state, so that they could learn about the rich culture, religion and heritage of Punjab.
The former executive members of the NRI Sabha maintained that they used to conduct youth exchange, religious and sports programmes till the tenure of Gyani Resham Singh Hayer. “NRI Sabha gradually ended up becoming a centre of power for the NRIs, as it got global recognition. This in turn brought the sabha to limelight but alienated it from its social responsibilities”, sources added.
Even the present contestants in fray for the post of the president too admitted that the sabha failed to meet its role in the past.
