"We feel proud of the great achievements of the people of Indian origin around the world. More than any other people, the people of India and of Indian origin know the meaning of tolerance and the art of living together regardless of caste, creed, religion or language," further said Dr. Singh.

"The recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai were a grim reminder of the grave threat posed by extremism and terrorism to our pluralistic and liberal traditions. There are some who would not like to see India succeed. But we have shown, over and over again, that we will not allow the forces of terrorism and extremism to destabilize our polity, our economy and our society. We have taken several measures to strengthen national security, to promote national cohesion and we will continue to work with the international community to ensure that there are no safe havens and launching pads for terrorists."

Despite the global economic downturn, the fundamentals of Indian economy continue to remain strong. Dr. Singh expected to achieve a growth rate of about 7 percent this year, which will be among the highest in the world.

Much of India's growth is internally driven which can maintain a strong pace of growth in the coming years.

India is actively involving in the meetings of the global G-20 countries, which are deliberating on the creation of a new global financial structure.

The Overseas Indian Citizenship Scheme, which the Government of India had announced in 2006, has elicited an overwhelming response.

In his concluding remark, Dr. Singh said, "When Chandrayaan-I soared into the skies last October, it was not just a display of India's technological achievements. It was the fulfillment of an ancient dream, to meet Chandamama! I assure that one day an Indian, Desi or Pravasi, will complete that journey and we will be able to land a man on the moon from India."

Source : indiaedunews