India is working out a modality to allow Indians living outside the country to cast their votes in local general elections.

    

About 25 million Indians are currently living across the globe but continue to maintain close ties with their motherland.

"I recognise the legitimate desire of Indians living abroad to exercise their franchise and to have a say in who governs India.

"We are working on this issue and I sincerely hope that they will get a chance to vote by the time of the next regular general elections.

    

"In fact, I would go a step further and ask why more overseas Indians should not return home to join politics and public life as they are increasingly doing in business and academia," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in his speech at the 8th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas conference in New Delhi today.

Efforts to connect the second generation

Speaking at the annual conclave attended by more than 1,500 delegates from over 50 countries, Manmohan called on Indians living abroad to take part in India's development programme to help speed up the country's economic and social development agenda.

    

"We seek the active involvement of the overseas Indian communities in accelerating the pace of our economic and social development.

"In this context, it is important that we make efforts to connect the second generation of overseas Indians with their ancestral heritage and involve them actively in India's march forward," said the premier.

MIC president S Samy Vellu is leading over 150 Malaysian delegates at the conference .

- Bernama