By NIMMI RAGHUNATHAN
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Several organizations and their officials gathered on Aug.22 here, at the behest of a committee of community members helmed by Inder Singh, to receive and welcome India’s envoy of four months Arun K.Singh, to Southern California. Even though this turn at the Indian Embassy in Washington is not...
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Several organizations and their officials gathered on Aug.22 here, at the behest of a committee of community members helmed by Inder Singh, to receive and welcome India’s envoy of four months Arun K.Singh, to Southern California. Even though this turn at the Indian Embassy in Washington is not...
his first – he was Deputy Chief of Mission till just two years ago; nor his first stint in the U.S., having been in the United Nations from 1993-97, it was Singh’s first visit ever to the Los Angeles area.Propelled by the invite to headline the annual India independence day fair in the San Fernando Valley organized by the India Association of Los Angeles, the Ambassador made good on his maiden visit to meet with members of the community, posing genially for pictures and meeting with all who approached him. After arriving behind schedule at the reception venue, the Spice Affair restaurant, the Ambassador and his wife Dr.Maina Chawla Singh, were briefed on the accomplishments of the Indian-American community in Southern California in particular, and California in general. Inder Singh, Chairman of GOPIO International, Kewal Kanda and Dilip Butani also of GOPIO, Abdulgani Shaikh of the Indian Muslims Association and Vasu Pawar of the United Federation of Indo-Americans of California took turns in expounding on the accolades earned by community members in the areas of business, medicine, education, philanthropy and politics, among others.
During his time at the podium, Ambassador Singh spoke on the two subjects that had brought him to SoCal: India’s independence day and the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Bay area in September.
On the former, informed by his last posting as Ambassador to France where in March this year, he commemorated Indian soldiers who lost their lives at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, Singh pointed out that the sacrifice of the one million Indians who fought in WWI goes unrecognized because India was then not a free nation. The same, he said, was true of WWII. India now has a different stature on the world stage as a sovereign state with strong decision making. The Indian envoy thought it was only fitting that a statue of Mahatama Gandhi now stands in front of the British Parliament, near one of Prime Minister Winston Churchill who had dismissed the possibility of a violable India, giving it two years to survive.
On Modi’s visit, only the second to California by an Indian Prime Minister, the Ambassador encouraged all to attend the public meeting at the SAP Center in San Jose on Sept.27. He said the previous outing of the PM in New York’s Madison Square Garden which was packed to the rafters with and enthusiastic audience, had been noticed - in the US and around the world and had worked toward strengthening the feeling toward India and bilateral relations. Over 20,000 people are expected to attend the California event which will be preceded the day before with the PM meeting industry and tech leaders of Silicon Valley.
In the interest of time, the scheduled Q&A with those present was cancelled and Navin Gupta of GOPIO gave the vote of thanks. Those present however had time to mingle and have their questions informally addressed by Ambassador Singh and Dr. K.J. Srinivasa, Deputy Consul General & Commercial Representative from the Indian Consulate in San Francisco.
During his time at the podium, Ambassador Singh spoke on the two subjects that had brought him to SoCal: India’s independence day and the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Bay area in September.
On the former, informed by his last posting as Ambassador to France where in March this year, he commemorated Indian soldiers who lost their lives at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, Singh pointed out that the sacrifice of the one million Indians who fought in WWI goes unrecognized because India was then not a free nation. The same, he said, was true of WWII. India now has a different stature on the world stage as a sovereign state with strong decision making. The Indian envoy thought it was only fitting that a statue of Mahatama Gandhi now stands in front of the British Parliament, near one of Prime Minister Winston Churchill who had dismissed the possibility of a violable India, giving it two years to survive.
On Modi’s visit, only the second to California by an Indian Prime Minister, the Ambassador encouraged all to attend the public meeting at the SAP Center in San Jose on Sept.27. He said the previous outing of the PM in New York’s Madison Square Garden which was packed to the rafters with and enthusiastic audience, had been noticed - in the US and around the world and had worked toward strengthening the feeling toward India and bilateral relations. Over 20,000 people are expected to attend the California event which will be preceded the day before with the PM meeting industry and tech leaders of Silicon Valley.
In the interest of time, the scheduled Q&A with those present was cancelled and Navin Gupta of GOPIO gave the vote of thanks. Those present however had time to mingle and have their questions informally addressed by Ambassador Singh and Dr. K.J. Srinivasa, Deputy Consul General & Commercial Representative from the Indian Consulate in San Francisco.
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