Kannikeswaran and Ranganathan speaking at the Chalo India event in Washington DC / Supplied

Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially inaugurated the Chalo India Global Diaspora campaign in Kashmir on Mar. 7. Indian embassies worldwide streamed the launch in the presence of diplomats and diaspora members.

Sripriya Ranganathan, one of the speakers at the event, currently holds the position of Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India, representing the diplomatic mission of India to the United States. Highlighting the rich culture in India, she spoke about the Indian languages and the Indian literature etched in these languages.

She said, “We have always known that Tamil, along with Malayalam and  Sanskrit forms the ancient Indian languages,” Ranganathan said. “So much of Indian literature, poetry, and music has been anchored in these languages. The Tamil language has given us classic epics and poetry during the Sangam period.”

“By allowing the richness of our musical tradition to engage with the richness of Western musical traditions, we have brought the wealth of our knowledge and our traditions to audiences around the world,” she added.

Chalo India event in Washington DC / Supplied

Kanniks Kannikeswaran, a Cincinnati-based composer, scholar, writer, and music educator, often described as the “Magic Musician” from Chennai, India, attended the ‘Chalo India’ launch organized by the Indian embassy in Washington DC. Speaking on the launch of this campaign he told New India Abroad, “There’s so much wealth in India; wherever you turn there’s history, culture, food, dance, and colors. What is stopping the rest of the world from going there with a positive outlook? Now the answer has come.”

“In terms of a welcoming gesture from the government itself and highlighting what is out there, incentivizing people that are living outside India to be ambassadors culturally to the land that we came from,” he said. “The Prime Minister has called each one of us a cultural ambassador. I think that’s an important step in giving an identity to the whole thing and requesting people living here (the US) to invite their friends to visit India. I think it’s a tremendous initiative. It’s going to be a huge win for the world in the process,” Kannikeswaran added.

Commenting on the documentary, Ranganathan said, “The work that Dr. Kannikeswaran is doing is invaluable in that by the capacity of forging these fusions, by allowing the richness of our musical tradition to engage with the richness of Western musical traditions we have brought the wealth of our knowledge and our traditions to audiences around the world.”

#IncredibleIndia #ChaloIndia
Indian Consulate, San francisco @CGISFO screened the inauguration of the Chalo India Global Campaign launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister @narendramodi Members of the Indian diaspora, community associations, and elected representatives were invited… pic.twitter.com/R2d1cfWl3Z

— India in SF (@CGISFO) March 8, 2024

The Indian Consulate in San Francisco conducted the event attended by community associations and members of the Indian diaspora. “Indian Consulate, San Francisco @CGISFO screened the inauguration of the Chalo India Global Campaign launched by Prime Minister @narendramodi. Members of the Indian diaspora, community associations, and elected representatives were invited to attend the event at India Community Centre, Milpitas. During the event, Consul General Dr. K. Srikar Reddy invited the diaspora and friends of India to become #incredibleindia Ambassador and invite five foreign friends to explore our diverse culture, vibrant heritage, and breathtaking landscapes every year,” the embassy said in a post on X.

The event was also hosted in London by the Indian embassy in the UK. @HCI_London invited the members of Indian Diaspora to the launch of #ChaloIndia Global Diaspora Initiative. Come and Join the movement by encouraging 5 friends from across the world to experience the splendor of #IncredibleIndia through http://chaloindia.gov.in portal,” it said in a post.

@HCI_London invited the members of Indian Diaspora to the launch of #ChaloIndia Global Diaspora Initiative.

Come and Join the movement by encouraging 5 friends from across the world to experience the splendor of #IncredibleIndia through https://t.co/mF9xeyXuM8 portal. pic.twitter.com/2NX967V3Ul

— India in the UK (@HCI_London) March 8, 2024

Shambhu Hakki, Consul General of India in China, attended the event in Guangzhou. “CG Shri @shambhuhakki along with #IndianDiaspora & @cgiguangzhou officials attended the live streaming of the launch of tourism projects in India, featuring inauguration of  "Chalo India– Global Diaspora Campaign" by PM Shri @narendramodi in #Srinagar today,” the embassy said in a post on X.

CG Shri @shambhuhakki along with #IndianDiaspora & @cgiguangzhou officials attended the live streaming of the launch of tourism projects in India, featuring inauguration of "Chalo India– Global Diaspora Campaign" by Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi in #Srinagar today.@MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/sv4aNOkxM8

— India in Guangzhou (@cgiguangzhou) March 7, 2024

The Indian embassy in Shanghai also hosted the live stream of the event attended by Consul General N. Nandakumar. “#IndianDiaspora in Shanghai & officials of  @IndiaInShanghai led by CG Dr. N. Nandakumar joined the live streaming & launch of  "Chalo India– Global Diaspora Campaign '' by Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in Srinagar on 07th March’24,” it said in a post.

#IndianDiaspora in Shanghai & officials of @IndiaInShanghai led by CG Dr. N. Nandakumar joined the live streaming & launch of "Chalo India– Global Diaspora Campaign" by Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in Srinagar on 07th March’24.#ChaloIndia @MEAIndia @EOIBeijing pic.twitter.com/pyG2OeSycZ

— India In Shanghai (@IndiaInShanghai) March 8, 2024

The Indian embassy of Hungary live-streamed the event in Budapest and encouraged the diaspora to participate. “Embassy of India in Budapest organized a live streaming of “Chalo India- Global Diaspora Campaign” on 7th March 2024 at Embassy premises. Visit the website to sign up and join the movement,” it said.