On October 20th, the EU Delegation held a workshop and exhibition on 'New Homelands: the Indian Diaspora in the European Union' opened at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Among the speakers at the workshop were Dr. Cesare Onestini , Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to India, and Mr. Dnyaneshwar Mulay, Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India.

Dr. Onestini said that this cultural project aimed at providing fresh insights into the links between the people of the European Union and India. The EU and India have strong political and strategic relations; the EU-India Summit last March in Brussels adopted a Common Agenda for Migration and Mobility as the basis for future discussions and agreements in all areas related to mobility to and from the EU.  In this context, this project was designed to train the camera lens of some distinguished Indian photographers on individuals from different parts of India who had made Europe their home in recent decades, and added to the vibrant culture and colourful social fabric of the EU.

Speaking of the "30 million Indian brotherhood" Mr. Mulay said that it helps the Indian diaspora that India is democratic and celebrates diversity, and in turn India is increasingly engaging its diaspora to develop good relations with entities such as the European Union. Experts including Dr Meera Sethi of the International Organisation for Migration, Professors Rupa Chandra and Chinmay Tumbe from the Indian Institutes of Management and Ishani Duttagupta who edits the Global Indian for the Economic Times described the significant contributions, both economic and social, of the Indian farmers in Italy, the Goans in Portugal, and the diamond merchants in Antwerp, Belgium.     

Following the workshop, the exhibition was inaugurated by Mr. Cesare Onestini and Mr. Vijay Jolly, Member of the Executive Committee of the Delhi BJP. It has been curated by art historian Dr. Alka Pande and features the works of 3 award-winning photographers who have travelled through the EU for a month, capturing the journeys and lives of the Indian community. The exhibition will be on display at the India Habitat Centre till 7 November, moving to the Piramal Gallery, NCPA Mumbai on December 12.