India plans to allow expats to vote: PM

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (C) lights a traditional oil lamp as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (R) and Union Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Oscar Fernandes (L) look on during the inauguration of the "Pravasi Bharatiya Divas" (conference of Indian expatriates) in Hyderabad yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

There are more than three million Indian workers and professionals in West Asia and they make up more than 60 percent of all Indian expatriates across the globe.

Singh, speaking in the infotech hub of Hyderabad, said Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in West Asia -- also home to millions of Pakistani and Bangladeshi workers -- were "unique".

"They are NRIs who will never become naturalised citizens of those countries," Singh told a large gathering of overseas Indians, including many workers from Arab states.

"Most of them have immediate families back in India and have thus a vital stake in local governance, including the issue of who would represent them in the state assembly or the national parliament."

Singh said their long-pending demand for voting in Indian elections while working in West Asia was justified and assured them he would push the move through.

"This proposal is at an advanced stage of consideration by our government."

There are more than 20 million Indian nationals or people of Indian origin across the world including hundreds of thousands in the United States, Europe and Africa.

Remittances from overseas Indian workers jumped to $20 billion in 2005 from over $13 billion in 2001 and New Delhi is keen to tap their growing financial clout and professional talent to boost India's robust economy, one of the world's fastest growing.

Singh said the expatriates had enhanced India's reputation as a global "knowledge economy" with its prowess in biotechnology, software and pharmaceuticals.

"Overseas Indians have played an extremely important role in global brand building in this respect."

Singh's comments came less than a fortnight after Indian officials offered overseas citizenship to millions of people of Indian origin, giving them opportunities to own land and property and invest in financial markets in India.

Though the Indian constitution does not allow dual nationality, the government has introduced an "overseas citizenship of India" scheme. But the scheme does not include voting rights or the opportunity to stand in elections.