Prominent NRIs receive Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award

Chennai: Thirteen eminent overseas Indians, including noted management guru C.K. Prahlad and Suriname Vice President Ramdien Sarjdoe, were yesterday conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman at the conclusion of India's three-day annual convention to connect with its diaspora.

President Pratibha Patil presented the medallion and citation to them during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. Following is the list of awardees with brief profiles:

Ramdien Sardjoe: The vice president of Suriname, he founded the Hindustani Navyuvak Sabha in 1953 and has been the chair since 2001 of the United Reformed Party, the main party of Indians in the country.

Angidi Veeriah Chettiar: The vice president of Mauritius, he has been closely associated with the Labour Party in the country. He also served the post-independence governments as a minister.

Soman Baby: Associate editor of Gulf Daily News, he has been recognised for portraying India in a positive light in the Gulf through his writings.

Deepak Obhrai: Member of Canadian parliament and parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs, he was instrumental in setting up the Canada-India Parliamentary Friendship Group in 2003.

Ylias Akbaraly: A prominent businessman in Madagascar, he has been a strong lobbyist for India in the African island nation. G. Vadiveloo: The only Malaysian-Indian to be elected president of the country's Senate, he chairs the disciplinary committee and serves as a permanent speaker of the Malaysian Indian Congress.

Ram Lakhina: His efforts and networking at bringing intellectuals among the Indian diaspora on various platforms in the Netherlands has resulted in institutions like the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin, Foundation of Critical Choices for India and the Netherlands-India Chamber of Commerce and Trade.

P.N.C. Menon: A noted philanthropist, he is engaged in several charitable and social projects in India, which include a skill development project in Kerala for the economically weaker sections of the society. Parmananthan Prema Naidoo: A leading figure in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, he upheld the Gandhian principles of truth and non-violence.

J.R. Hangaramani: Founder of the Indian Business and Professional Group in Abu Dhabi, which promotes trade between India and the UAE.

Baroness Shreela Halther: A member of the British House of Lords, she is the first ethnic minority woman to become a councilor in UK.

C.K. Prahlad: Professor at the University of Michigan's Business School, he is considered among the best thinkers in the area of business.

Sumit Ganguly: He is a professor of political science at the Indiana University.