Community Activists meet India’s Ambassador in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Nov. 05,2012
Staff Reporter

Several community activists and prominent people from greater Los Angeles area met with India’s Ambassador Nirupma Rao and Consul General of India in San Francisco N Parthasarathi on November 5, 2012 at the Beverley Hills Tenzore Indian Restaurant. The ambassador was accompanied by her husband Sudhakar Rao who retired as Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka. Consul General was also accompanied by his wife Geeta Parthasarathi.

The ambassador talked about the yearlong Gadar Centennial celebrations,  formally launched by her on November 3, 2012 in the embassy in the presence of Ambassadors to the US from three other countries, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. She appreciated the initiative by the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) for the centennial commemoration.

The ambassador wanted to have an interactive session with the community activists. She responded to several questions raised by the attendees. Many community activists complimented the Consular general for the speedy delivery of consular services. However, there were some questions pertaining to the grant of some type of visas. The Consul general explained the situation which some people may have encountered and offered to look into those cases. He also gave his email address where people can write to him.

Some of the community activists who attended the meeting, included Abdul Gani Shaikh, Aparna Hande, FIA President, Ashok Madan, NFIA Executive Director, Bobby Kumar, IALA Chairman,  Chiman Adial, President IASH, Dr. Prakash Narain, Mayor Protem City of Cypress, Harry Sidhu, Mayor Protem City of Anaheim, Mahesh Parekh, LA County Commissioner,  Mohan Dadlani, Sindhi Association, Raj Pakianathan, Association of Inland Empire, Kewal Kanda, President, GOPIO LA Chapter  and Gursharan Nat IALA president. Several prominent people included Dr Awtar Singh Philanthropist, Dr. S.K Mishra, Associate Dean, Harbhajan Samra, Jagdish Khangura (geandson of a Gadarite), Dr Mohinder Sambhi, philanthropist (endowed Centre of India Studies Center at John Hopkins University), Navin Doshi of UCLA Doshi Chair,  Prof Akhil Gupta, Director South Asia Studies, UCLA, Prof. Karen Leonard, Chair Anthropology, UC Riverside and  Prof. Stanley Wolpert, author of several books on India. Prof. Wolpert and Prof. Leonard presented their books to both the ambassador and the Consul General.

Ambassador Nirupma Rao, 1973 batch IFS, is Ambassador of India to the United States of America since August 2011. In 2009, she became the second woman (after Chokila Iyer) to hold the post of Indian Foreign Secretary, the head of the Indian Foreign Service. He also served as the first woman spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry, Chief of Personnel, Ambassador to Peru and China, and High Commissioner to Sri Lanka

• Nov. 14, 2011: Ambassador Nirupama Rao Visits Los Angeles