Event is an occasion to be back home

HYDERABAD: For many NRIs, an event like the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is an occasion to visit their home country. But for Manoj Pittea, it is the first opportunity to visit his country and interact with the people here.
Working as a police officer in Mauritius, Manoj is visiting India for the first time. Manoj, who is originally from Thane in Maharashtra, is part of a delegation from Mauritius.
"Our forefathers had moved to Mauritius more than 150 years back," said Manoj, who landed in the country on Thursday night and felt it to be the happiest moment in his life.
"We identify ourselves as people belonging to Mauritius. But we have certain attachment towards India," he said. "The Marathis there have formed an association and also have their own building, Maharashtra Bhavan.
We are going to expand it with an auditorium and a Maharashtrian restaurant," he added. "We celebrate all Hindu festivals like Vinayak Chaturthi, Gudi Padva and also Shivaji Jayanti in Mauritius.
We are still attached to Hindu religious and cultural activities and also Indian cuisine," Manoj said. Being a cop himself, Manoj is confident that the authorities will make fool-proof security arrangements for the event.
"It is not only that the authorities should take care of the delegates, but they should also ensure the safety of all the citizens," he said reacting to the beefed up security arrangements for the event.
Among the delegates attending the conference starting from Saturday is Bikas C Sanyal, special advisor to International Institute for Educational Planning, Unesco, France.
Sanyal, who hails from West Bengal felt that events like PBD should also concentrate more on education-related aspects.
"The event is focussing too much on business and commerce. It should also focus on education-related aspects like exchange of education," he felt.
For Ram Mohan Roy, Hyderabad is a fast-changing city. "I frequently visit Hyderabad and every time I observe the growth. The previous government made good development," he said.
Roy hails from Shalibanda in the Old City but is now working as professor of international relations in California State University.
Roy served as a professor in Osmania University in political science department during 1960s and has his own house at Shivarampally where he stays during his visit to Hyderabad.