GOPIO NEWS BULLETIN
February 2007
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CONTENTS
Editorial
PBD, AWARDS, MOIA, MEA, THE PRESIDENT AND THE NRI/PIO COMMUNITY
MAHATMA DID NOT BRING A CHUNK OF MONEY BUT BROUGHT NEW IDEAS FOR INDIA
PBD ORGANIZATION
VERY LITTLE INTERACTION IN THE CONFERENCE SESSIONS
NRI/PIO LEADERSHIPS VISIT PRESIDENT KALAM
PBD AWARDS
NO INDIAN WOMAN AMONG THE AWARDEES
COOPERATION BETWEEN MOIA AND MEA?
NEED GANDHIGIRI FROM INDIAN POLITICAL LEADERSHIP
GOPIO CONVENTION 2007 PASSES RESOLUTIONS
PM INAUGURATES PBD, PRESIDENT CONCLUDES PRESENTING PRAVASI SAMMAN AWARDS
NRI PASSPORTS MAY BEAR MARRIAGE STAMP
GIF FOCUSES ON DIASPORA EDUCATION AND CULTURE
CARIBBEAN INDIAN BUSINESS GROUP MEETS WITH OFFICIALS IN NEW DELHI
CONGRESSMAN BOBBY JINDAL TO RUN FOR LOUISIANA GOVERNOR
GOPIO INTL. AND CHAPTER NEWS
GOPIO-METRO WASHINGTON DC ELECTS OFFICE BEARERS AND PLANS FUTURE PROJECTS
CHARITY TEAMS UP WITH GOPIO S.E. LONDON CHAPTER TO HELP IN FIGHT AGAINST CHILD LABOR IN INDIA
GOPIO ACADEMIC COUNCIL EXPANDS PROGRAMS IN INDIA
NRIs/PIOs ACHIEVE
NRIs/PIOs RECEIVE PADMA AWARDS
UN SECRETARY GENERAL APPOINTS VIJAY NAMBIAR AS CHIEF OF STAFF
TUNKU VARADARAJAN PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR OF WALL STREE JOURNAL
SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON NAMES INDIAN AMERICAN NEERA TANDEN AS CHIEF POLICY ADVISOR
INDO SURINAMESE HONORED IN HOLLAND
INDIAN AMERICAN RACHAEL PAULOSE CONFIRMED AS US ATTORNEY FOR MINNNESOTA
SANJAY KHOSLA IS PRESIDENT OF KRAFT INTERNATIONAL
INDIAN AMERICAN RAJ GUPTA HONORED WITH 2007 CHEMICAL INDUSTRY MEDAL
LAKSHMI MITTAL CONTRIBUTES TWO MILLION POUNDS TO BRITISH LABOR PARTY
INDIAN AMERICAN DHALIWAL CONTRIBUTES $2.5 MILLION TO CARDINAL STRITCH UNIV.
NEWS OF INTEREST TO NRIs AND PIOs AROUND THE WORLD
TRINIDAD HINDUS WIN 7-YEAR LEGAL BATTLE TO BROADCAST ON FM RADIO STATION
US RECRUITING INDIAN TRUCK DRIVERS
GOPIO LIFE MEMBERSHIP AND CHAPTER FORMATION
EDITORIAL BOARD
Editorial
PBD, AWARDS, MOIA, MEA, THE PRESIDENT AND THE NRI/PIO COMMUNITY
The recently concluded Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) organized by Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) attracted barely 1200 delegates. The first PBD in 2003 had a record attendance of about 3000 delegates. Since then the attendance, instead of going up, has been going down every year.
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was launched under the chairmanship of Dr. L.M. Singhvi in January 2003 by the Vajapayee administration. The date was chosen to celebrate the return of the great NRI Mahatma Gandhi to India from South Africa on January 9th, 1915 after selflessly working for the cause of the Indian community and India in South Africa for over two decades. Although PBD is organized as a convention for the NRI/PIO community, however, the involvement of NRI/PIO communities has been limited to their attendance as paying delegates and listening to the ministerial sermons. The organization of the annual PBD should have been done with the active involvement and input from the NRI/PIO groups rather than leaving it as a bureaucratic exercise.
MAHATMA DID NOT BRING A CHUNK OF MONEY BUT BROUGHT NEW IDEAS FOR INDIA
Although the theme of the Pravasi Meet was Rooting the Roots, and some attempts were made to discuss NRI/PIO issues, the overall thrust of the PBD sessions was investments in India . Unfortunately, more than 90 percent of the participants were not entrepreneurs. Mahatma Gandhi did not bring a chuck of money to invest in India ; he brought a whole lot of new ideas including Satyagraha. The Indian Government and MOIA have to reorient the focus of the PBD, involve NRI/PIO leadership to benefit from their experience and expertise and build partnerships with the Diaspora in bringing innovative solutions for social issues or to leapfrog the developmental process.
PBD ORGANIZATION
The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) deserves to be complimented for a good job in organizing the event without much hitch with superb arrangements in registration, transportation between venues, lunch/dinner and networking breaks. However, the seating arrangements at the cultural programs were less than satisfactory. Although the cultural programs were excellent, most of the seats in the main halls were occupied by local invitees including bureaucrats and their families. Many of the paid delegates had to occupy seats in the galleries on both sides where the view to the stage was obstructed. There were scenes of delegates demanding proper seating from the organizers. Although PBD delegates are not against the local invitees coming in to take empty seats, the delegates felt that they should not be shunted at will by the organizers.
VERY LITTLE INTERACTION IN THE CONFERENCE SESSIONS
Before the conference, MOIA officials were quoted in the press interviews that there would be opportunities for NRIs/PIOs to interact with India s top leadership. However, the program committee in its enthusiasm to accommodate, a large number ministers and bureaucrats in the conference sessions, left with very little time for interaction and input from the delegates except a few sessions such as the one with Finance Minister Chidabaram. Even the normal personal interaction with the leadership during networking breaks was not provided since most of the ministers and the President were whisked away right after their presentation. Therefore, most of the sessions turned out to be class room lectures.
NRI/PIO LEADERSHIPS VISIT PRESIDENT KALAM
President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam went out of his way to meet several delegations from the NRI/PIO leaderships till late evening on January 9th. That is one extraordinary gesture on the part of President Kalam, which many PBD delegates cherish while returning to their home countries after PBD.
PBD AWARDS
As in previous years, fifteen NRIs/PIOs were selected to receive Pravasi Bharatiya Samman. The awardees list was kept in secrecy till one hour before the actual award ceremony. Soon after the ceremony, several newspapers reported favoritism and political influence in the selection of some of the awardees. The awardees should have been selected for their long selfless services to the community and India or for their outstanding achievements in their chosen field of endeavor. It does not behoove the high level ward committee headed by India 's vice president to select award recipients whose qualifications for the award are questionable. An NRI/PIO delegate at the PBD who spends about $3,000 - $5,000 on the average to travel to India and stay in expensive New Delhi hotels to participate in the PBD, should feel enthused to cheer the well deserving awardees rather than be questioned by the media about the qualifications and merit of the awardees. An independent panel should be set up to recommend awardees selection without political interference.
NO INDIAN WOMAN AMONG THE AWARDEES
Another unfortunate part in the award selection was that no NRI/PIO woman was represented among the awardees. This is something seriously wrong, ignoring the 50% of the population. There are many high achievers among women of the Diaspora and the selection committee should have made serious efforts in reaching out to some one among the 25 million overseas Indians.
COOPERATION BETWEEN MOIA AND MEA?
Most of the NRI/PIO leadership, on a regular basis, deals with the Indian Embassies, High Commissions and the Consulates which are under Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). While GOPIO was the first civic community group to demand a separate ministry for Overseas Indian Affairs and wholeheartedly welcomed the decision by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to have an independent ministry, we wonder whether MOIA can effectively function without close cooperation with MEA. Some potential delegates wanting to attend PBD could not even get information on PBD from some of the Indian missions abroad.
NEED GANDHIGIRI AMONG INDIAN LEADERSHIP
As Govt. of India celebrates Mahatma Gandhis return every January, the Indian political leadership needs to follow more Gandhigiri than self interest. Be truthful to the cause of India.
GOPIO Editorial Team
P.S. We believe that peoples feed back with new ideas and involvement provide opportunities for improvement. In this regard, we request you to send in your ideas to Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, minister@moia.nic.in or secretary@moia.nic.in with a copy to gopio1@gmail.com
GOPIO CONVENTION 2007 PASSES RESOLUTIONS
- Recognizes Four with Pravasi Community Service Awards; Inducts Three Leaders to GOPIO Honor Roll
The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) organized a successful and well-attended Convention 2007 in New Delhi on January 5th and 6th, preceding Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2007 celebrations, which started on January 7th. Inaugurating the Convention, India s Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Hon. Shri P R Dasmunshi, applauded the contribution of People of Indian Origin (PIOs) in India , especially in India s rapidly growing media industry. Importantly, the Union Minister chose the GOPIO convention platform to make policy announcements for the FM Radio media. GOPIO International President Inder Singh and Conference Chair and President of GOPIO India K.N. Gupta welcomed the delegates and guests. A book, Hinduism Unveiled by Anand Mulloo, a well known author from Mauritius , was released by Dr. L. M. Singhvi who is credited with the start of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas.
The two sessions on India and PIO Media, following the inauguration were chaired by Munish Gupta, Chairman, GOPIO Media Council. Many prominent speakers including K. S. Sarma, Former CEO Prasar Bharati and current CEO of MAA TV, Hyderabad, and, Ms. Manoranjana Sinh, Chairperson & MD of Northeast Media Group actively deliberated on the issues of Rapid and dynamic changes in Indian Media, its influence on politics, economy, socially & culture, and PIOs in Media -- their perception of India & Indian Media, and, their role in the global perception of India and bridging Indians and PIOs. This was the first time that media persons from India and the PIO community were brought together to interact and network with each other, an effort lauded by the Union Information & Broadcasting Minister and the media.
The first session on the second day, Jan 6, 2007, deliberated on issues and perspectives of the diaspora and was chaired by Dr. Jagat Motwani, Chairman, GOPIO Academic Council. Dr. Kavita Sharma spoke on the subject of "Limping marriages and holiday wives" and problems relating to fake NRI marriages particularly in Punjab . The NRIs marry girls, do not keep any communication or contact with their spouses in India and then abandon them. The learned speaker quoted many cases in which the courts in India had failed to give justice to the abandoned wives for one reason or the other. The major problem of fake marriages was attributed to lack of due diligence and proper verification of the NRI bridegrooms. Many suggestions for verification of the NRI bridegrooms such as help by the Indian embassies and establishment of hotline by GOPIO were made.
Dr. M.K. Pandey of Prasar Bharti talked about Indian Perceptions of NRIs" and the role being played by the media, internet and the film industry. Many NRIs and NRI organizations are significantly contributing by doing charitable work in the field of education, sports, building link roads, bridges, etc, in their villages and towns. The exploitation of Indian travel and employment agents in India and Indian employers in the foreign countries was deplored.
The second session was devoted to the discussion of assimilation of the Indian Diaspora in the host countries. The session was chaired by Ambassador Krishna Nandoe, President of GOPIO Suriname and many prominent speakers including writer and author Anand Mulloo of Mauritius , Prof. Parmatma Saran of City University , New York , Lord Diljit Rana of Northern Ireland , George Abraham of Singapore and Dr. Arnold Thomas of St. Vincent Island in the Caribbean took an active part in the deliberations.
The people who went as indentured labor had very difficult time in holding on to their religion and culture. Sometimes, it was not even possible to enroll a child in a school without getting him/her baptized. Over times, though, things have changed. Many countries promote multiculturalism as a matter of state policy. The NRIs are not melting into the larger culture of the host countries. Many religious temples and yoga schools have come up all over the globe and Indian cultural activities continue to be organized around major festivals.
The third session discussed the bridging of NRI-PIO divide and was chaired by Ashook Ramsaran, GOPIO Secretary General. Prof Mohan Gautam of Netherlands , Prof Ganesh Chand of Fiji and Ambassador P.S. Sahai spoke about different phases of Indian emigration. People who left as indentured labor went through socio-economic havoc did not have much contact with motherland, their linkage with India got fractured, their identity as Indians was at stake. The subsequent waves of migration of business people and NRIs did not face the identity crisis as the Girmitiyas who were considered less equal to the new arrivals resulting in the feeling NRI-PIO divide. GOPIO provides one platform without making any distinction between the two phases of immigrants.
The final session was devoted to the Development of People to People Relations and was chaired by Dr. B.C. Gupta, IAS Principal Home Secretary of Punjab . Many prominent speakers included Madhu Yaskhi M.P, Dr. Y.S. Rajan , scientist, technologist, writer and poet, and J. C. Sharma, former Secretary, MEA. The main issue discussed was bringing people together for understanding the development needs of India for the benefit of India . The NRIs are highly educated, have the experience and expertise and can contribute to health care and education of children in rural areas.
GOPIO also passed several resolutions at the final concluding session chaired by Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chairman GOPIO International.
The Awards banquet at Ashoka Hotel was well attended and given enormous level of national and international media publicity. It was chaired by Vayalar Ravi, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs. The Pravasi Bharatiya Community Service Awards from GOPIO were presented to Charan Gill ( Canada ), George Abraham ( Singapore ), Nevin P. Megchiani ( Middle East ) and Wahid Saleh (The Netherlands).
In acknowledging the accomplishments of the awardees, GOPIO president Inder Singh remarked, You have done more than enough community work to earn respect, honor and recognition and established Indian community name with your name. You have provided more paths and trails to our community and we thank you for your dedication and commitment to overseas Indian community and India .
GOPIO was proud to induct three highly respected leaders to GOPIO Honor Roll for their outstanding leadership and their continued support for GOPIO and the Indian Diaspora. The inductees included Governor M. M. Jacob, former Prime Minister I. K. Gujral and ICCR Chairman Dr. Karan Singh MP. Mizoram Governor Lt. Gen. M.M. Lakhera was also present at the banquet along with four members of Indian parliament including Madhu Yaskhi.
GOPIO Convention 2007 also passed ten resolutions as follows:
Resolution 1 Establish an Advisory Committee from Diaspora Leadership to the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs for furthering the mission of the ministry.
Resolution 2 Concerns of law and order situation in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) especially crimes against PIOs in that country and T&T to remedy the situation.
Resolution 3 A constitutional amendment by Indian Parliament for allocating up to five Lok Sabha seats to provide representation of 8 million Indian citizens living outside India .
Resolution 4 Govt. of India should streamline rules governing the foreign contribution regulation act (FCRA) and custom clearances for charitable organizations in India .
Resolution 5 With increased demand for visas and passports at the Indian missions abroad, improve consular services with better facility and efficiency.
Resolution 6 Provide Overseas Citizen of India to the children under age 18 born of Indian parents.
Resolution 7 Remove discriminatory practices of high price toward NRIs/PIOs for the admission tickets to historic sights, air travel and hotel accommodations in India .
Resolution 8 Expand on qualification to receive PIO card up to 5th generation PIOs.
Resolution 9 Govt. of India should take necessary step to rehabilitate NRI workers stranded in the Middle East .
Resolution 10 Concerned about crimes perpetuated toward parents left behind by NRIs, Govt. of India and MOIA should take steps to ensure safety of NRI parents.
The resolutions were personally handed over to MOIA Minister Vayalar Ravi at the GOPIO banquet on January 6th. See detailed text of all resolutions at http://gopio.net/resolutions/resolutions_2007.htm.
The two-day GOPIO convention received the valuable support of Indian and international sponsors. Kingfisher Airlines, owned by Dr. Vijay Mallaya, was the Title Platinum sponsor of the two-day convention as well as the Dinner Gala. PIO TV, the first-ever television channel for PIOs and NRIs, carried on India s first IPTV platform, www.IndiaTVLive.com, was the Title Gold sponsor of the convention and the gala dinner. The two-day GOPIO convention and all its sessions were carried live on www.PIOTV.com.
For more information on GOPIO Convention 2007 and the resolutions passed at the convention, please contact: GOPIO President Inder Singh in USA at 818-708-3885, E-mail: gopio-intl@sbcglobal.net or Secretary General Ashook Ramsaran at: 718-353-1900 or by email at ramsaran@aol.com
PM INNAUGURATES PBD, PRESIDENT CONCLUDES PRESENTING PRAVASI SAMMAN AWARDS
The Fifth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was inaugurated on January 7th by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Vidhayan Bhavan in New Delhi . PM Singh spoke on the various steps his government is taking for the Diaspora. He also made a point to thank the Indian-American community for its help in the passage of the US-India Atomic Energy Cooperation Bill through the Congress.
The chief guest was Dr. Shunmugam Jayakumar, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore , who recognized India s strategic role in building the new architecture of East Asia . Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi welcomed 1,200 delegates. The largest contingent was from the US , numbering over 250 delegates.
At the closing ceremony on January 9th, President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman to 15 winners. The years awardees list was guarded as a secret till one hour before the award ceremony. The following were the award recipients:
Dave Sukhdip Singh Hayer ( Canada )
Sir Moti Tikaram ( Fiji )
Sibabrata Roy ( Germany )
Kenneth S. Benjamin ( Jamaica )
Pheroze Nowrojee ( Kenya )
Tan Sri Dato' Dr. K.R Somasundaram ( Malaysia )
Dr. Abdool Magid Abdool Karim Vakil ( Portugal )
Billy Nair ( South Africa )
Syed M. Salahuddin (UAE)
Dr. B.R. Shetty (UAE)
Lord Diljit Rana ( UK )
Dr. M. Anirudhan ( USA )
P. Jayaraman ( USA )
Gopal Raju ( USA ) and
Nirmal K. Sinha ( USA )
This years program was hosted by Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and co-hosted by Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).
NRI PASSPORTS MAY BEAR MARRIAGE STAMP
India government may soon decide to stamp the marital status of non-resident Indians on their passports. Alarmed by the increasing instances of NRIs abandoning their wives in India , the government is considering ways to check fraudulent marriages in the country. It is estimated that 30,000 women have been abandoned by NRIs in India .
Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and minister of state for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury discussed the proposal at a meeting. The stamp will have details like the place and the date of marriage.
The government is considering two approaches for this. It will ask the US and the UK governments to seek information about the marital status of persons applying for visas and provide this information on the visa itself. Most NRI distress marriages are reported from Indians in the US and UK .
Alternately the marital status would be mentioned on the passport. It will provide documentary evidence to check the status. However, the proposal will need the permission of the Ministry of External Affairs, as the Passport Act would have to be amended. On the mandatory registration of marriages, the two ministries have decided to pursue the registration of marriages with the Law Ministry.
The two ministries have also sought information from the MEA about extradition treaties between India and other countries on marriage related cases.
The government is also examining recommendations on NRI marriages including mandatory registration of NRI marriages, bilateral agreements between India and other countries with large Indian Diaspora, government processed reconciliation process and counseling of NRI marriage victims.
GIF FOCUSES ON DIASPORA EDUCATION AND CULTURE
The Global Indian Foundation (GIF), a non-profit charitable organization, saw its roots established in 2002 to focus on Diaspora Education and Culture across the world. The GIF, headquartered in Singapore was co-founded by Dr. L M Singhvi, who realized the importance of creating an institution to foster bonds between the Diaspora and the local citizens and share with the local citizens, the exemplary Indian school and cultural education.
GIF in Asia Pacific
Since its inception in 2002 in Singapore , Global Indian Foundation has responded to requests from Indian Diaspora in several countries and has established full fledged schools and cultural centers as follows:
In total, GIF has over 10 schools, 17,000 students and 1500 teachers.
The Global Indian Foundation primary focus areas are
a) Schools - K12 or Kindergarten to Grade 12 / Junior College
b) Higher Learning institutes Engineering College / B Schools.
c) School Management provide schools management expertise to other schools
d) Cultural Center teaching Indian fine arts, music, dance, drama (20 courses)
e) Publications Language and Culture (e.g. Ramayana in French)
GIF claims that it provides world class school education with Indian values and culture education. According to GIF, its students are getting a much more holistic education and having better performance in academics.
Contact: Atul Temurnikar, Chairman, GIF worldwide at atul@globalindian.org.sg or Tel +65-64791511 or Fax +65-64791248, or visit: www.globalindian.org.sg
CARIBBEAN INDIAN BUSINESS GROUP MEETS WITH OFFICIALS IN NEW DELHI
A delegation of the Caribbean Indian Business Development Center (CIBDC) held several productive meetings with government and private sector officials in New Delhi last month, with the intent to further advance Indian investments in the Caribbean and South American region. The CIBDC delegation was led by Ashook Ramsaran, formerly of Guyana and now head of his own electronics manufacturing company in New York . Ashook Ramsaran, currently the Secretary General of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO International), has been appointed as Director General of CIBDC.
The members of CIBDCs delegation included: Ashook Ramsaran (Guyana -- USA); Yesu Persaud (Guyana); Deo Gosine (Trinidad USA); Krishna Nandoe (Suriname); Dr. Chan Misier (Suriname The Netherlands); and Dr. Arnold Thomas (St. Vincents Belgium). All members of the delegation also attended the Jan 5 6, 2007 conference of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) and Jan 7 9, 2007 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD2007) held in New Delhi .
CIBDCs focus is to promote and enhance bi-lateral investments and trade for economic and social development between and among countries of the Caribbean and South American region and India . It strives to foster continuing economic relations to provide the platform and means to encourage development and growth towards better business and human relations, the combination of which tend to ease social problems as a result of enhanced economic development. Active representation is primarily by persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and spans the Caribbean countries as well as North America and Europe .
"CIBDC is convinced that there are tremendous business opportunities for bilateral business, investments and trade that are beneficial to both India and the countries of the Caribbean region. CIBDC also recognizes the importance of the recent visits of Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Shashi Tripathi to the Caribbean region, pointing to India 's increasing interest in the region", said Ramsaran.
The third meeting was held with the ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Joint Secretary Dnyaneshwar Mulay. There were in-depth discussions on opportunities of mutual interests, need for natural resources and raw materials for the growing Indian economy, as well realistic expectations of Indian business investors and the peoples of the Caribbean . It was also concluded that a combined private sector and Government of India business delegation visit the Caribbean shortly to meet with private and public sectors to explore additional business opportunities.
CONGRESSMAN BOBBY JINDAL TO RUN FOR LOUISIANA GOVERNOR
US Rep Bobby Jindal, who lost his bid for governor in 2003, told supporters that he would seek the job again in this year's election in a bid to make history by becoming the first US governor with roots in India .
The 35-year-old Republican congressman, whose parents emigrated from India , will try to unseat Democratic Governor Kathleen Blanco, who has said she is running for re-election. Blanco defeated Jindal in 2003, but she has faced criticism since hurricanes Katrina and Rita about her leadership abilities and her recovery initiatives.
"Our state, our communities, and our families have been through some very tough times. There is clearly a hunger for a new approach to governing," Jindal said in an e-mail to his supporters announcing his intentions.
A recent poll showed Jindal leading Blanco in the race.
Jindal said he does not view this year's race as a retread of the 2003 election because of the destruction wrought by the 2005 hurricanes, which he said has given Louisiana new opportunities to correct old problems in education and health care.
"The stakes are a lot higher. It's a brand new race. This isn't about looking backward. This is about looking to Louisiana 's future," Jindal added.
Jindal's first political campaign was for governor four years ago when then-Governor Mike Foster, a Republican who could not seek re-election because of term limits, supported Jindal for governorship.
GOPIO INTL. AND CHAPTER NEWS
GOPIO-METRO WASHINGTON DC ELECTS OFFICE BEARERS AND PLANS FUTURE PROJECTS
GOPIO-METRO DC Chapter was formed in May 2003 has now blossomed into an active organization. In the last three years this chapter of GOPIO has made much effort to bring the ethnically and religiously diverse Indian organizations on a common platform, to serve the basic needs of the community. In this time span this group has held meetings addressed by many top dignitaries visiting US from India . The most important was the public meeting, inauguration of the Chapter and banquet reception addressed by late Dr. K.R. Narayanan, the immediate past President of India.
On Sunday, December 10, 2006, the Metro DC chapter held another luncheon meeting at the Woodlands Restaurant in Langley Park, MD. Senior and respected Indian community leaders including Padmashree Rajan Devadas, Dr Sambhu Banik, Dr. Sam Mukherjee, Mr. Raman Ruia and former ambassador Har Swarup Singh etc. were there to felicitate and encourage the members and office bearers of the Chapter.
GOPIO Chapter President Dr Renuka Misra, a scientist at the National Institutes of Health provided history of GOPIO, its objectives, and detailed information on the major activities of the GOPIO Metro DC in the last three years. Dr. Misra appealed to the community to help the chapter activities. She emphasized that this organization is committed to serving the diverse needs of the Indian American community (PIO/NRI) and address the concerns of all segments of the community. Secretary Dr. Zafar Iqbal and Treasurer Dr Yash Chopra provided organizational and financial details of the organization. Subsequently election officer and parliamentarian Dr Hameed Khan, a prominent community leader conducted elections for the next term.
The following were elected as officers for 2007-08:
Executive Committee: President: Dr Renuka Misra; Vice-President: Kaleem Kawaja; Secretary: Dr. Kaushal Chauhan; Joint Secretary: Jayshree Kundu; Treasurer: Sumita Poojary.
Board of Directors: Dr. Yash Chopra, Prem Kapani, Dr Zafar Iqbal, Dr. Rahat Khan, Arun Das, Nath Somnath and Dr. Ram Singh.
Dr. Renuka Misra in acceptance of her reelection as President of GOPIO-Metro DC thanked the audience. She emphasized on the future plans and mission of the organization as follows:
1. To make chapter safe and secure by increasing membership;
2. To increase awareness to the community of our aims and goals;
3. To work with other community organizations with similar objectives &
4. To concentrate on the projects valuable to the Indian-American community & Diaspora.
Dr. Misra briefed the gathering on the steps taken to initiate globally two specific major Projects:
(1) Support for expansion of Thakur Hari Prasad Institute of Research & Rehabilitation for the mentally handicapped (THPI), Hyderabad , India .
(2) Management and Prevention of the neglected Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)... Support to initiate screening centers for new born babies to identify SCD, in cooperation with local authorities and hospitals.
The invited speaker of the event was Dr. Sambhu N. Banik, a distinguished community leader and a member of GOPIO advisory council. He spoke on some of the activities and programs offered by the THPI in Hyderabad and Rajamundhry in Andhrapradesh , India .
THPI has been serving mentally challenged individuals from around the country for the past 35 years in the most outstanding manner serving both the rural and urban population. This is the only Institution in India which enjoys NGO in Special Consultative Status with Economic and Social Council of the United Nations,