15 people honoured with Pravasi Bhartiya Samman

New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) Indian President Pratibha Patil on
Sunday conferred 'Pravasi Bhartiya Samman' awards to 15
eminent overseas Indians, including Governor General of New
Zealand Sir Anand Satyanand, for their pioneering role in
enhancing India's image globally.
Patil gave away the awards here at the valedictory
session of the ninth Pravasi Bhartiya Divas -- India's annual
event to connect with its diaspora that begun here on Friday.
Satyanand, 66, is New Zealand's first Governor-General of
Indian and Pacific ancestry. He had a long career as a lawyer,
judge and ombudsman before taking up the job in August 2006.
Patil while complimenting Satyanand's contribution said
the country was proud of his achievements. Satyanand has been
honoured for his outstanding contributions in public life.
In October last year, a New Zealand radio presenter has
stirred controversy by calling Satyanand a "large, fat man".
Later, the presenter had to quit.
The other Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardees included
Veena Harbhagwan Sahajwalla from Australia, Lata Pada from
Canada, USAID administrator Rajiv Shah, British Minister
Sandip Verma, leading Sri Lankan Industrialist Mano
Selvanathan, Netherlands-based philanthropist Saleh Wahid and
former foreign service officer of Malaysia Dato Ajit Singh.
The final day of the three-day event also marked 96th
anniversary of homecoming of Mahatma Gandhi. The father of the
nation had come back to India from South Africa on January 9,
1915.