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Grammy-winning musician Ricky Kej performed at the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on Thursday.
Kej, who composed the theme song for the event, shared his experience performing at the event and expressed gratitude for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appreciation of his composition. "The Prime Minister praised the welcome song I composed for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in his speech, which was heartwarming and encouraging... I hope that this song encourages everybody to work together for our country... so we can create a Viksit Bharat...," told the Grammy-winning artist to ANI. On Wednesday, Kej spoke about the honour of participating in the event, calling Bhubaneswar one of his favourite cities. "It's a huge honour for me to be here in Odisha, in Bhubaneswar. Bhubaneswar is one of my favourite cities in India, and to come here for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is amazing. Tomorrow, I'm going to be performing at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. I've composed the theme song for this year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, and I'm honoured to perform that song tomorrow at the event. I'm very excited to showcase the song, which is dedicated to 1.4 billion Indians and 35 million strong members of the Indian diaspora worldwide," he told ANI. Kej also shared his admiration for Odisha, calling it a state of immense beauty and "cultural heritage". "Odisha is a beautiful state, not only for its arts and culture but also for its tremendous heritage, beautiful temples, ancient structures, and, when it comes to agriculture and tribal communities, it's just a beautiful, beautiful state. I'm very, very glad that the government has decided to hold this year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on such a grand scale in the state of Odisha." The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention is the flagship event of the Government of India that provides an important platform to connect and engage with the Indian diaspora and enable them to interact with each other. The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is being organized in partnership with the State Government of Odisha from January 8 to 10 in Bhubaneswar. The theme of this PBD Convention is "Diaspora's Contribution to a Viksit Bharat." A large number of Indian diaspora members from over 50 different countries have registered to participate in the PBD Convention. Earlier in the day, PM Modi during his address in Bhubaneshwar, asserted that the Indian government considers it their "responsibility to help the diaspora during crisis situations" and expressed gratitude for their support and contributions. He also lauded their role in enhancing India's global reputation. PM Modi said, "I feel very happy when I meet you all. I never forget the love and blessings I have received from you all. Today, I also want to thank you all, because of you, I get a chance to hold my head high. In the last 10 years, I have met many world leaders and they all appreciate the Indian diaspora in their respective countries. One big reason behind this is the social values you carry." "Friends, we give great importance to your convenience and comfort. Your safety and welfare are our top priority. We consider it our responsibility to help our diaspora during crisis situations, no matter where they are. This is one of the guiding principles of India's foreign policy today," he added. (ANI)
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