GARDEN CITY, NY (TIP): RANA, Jaipur Foot USA, BRUHUD (New York Seniors), APS, AAPI New York, Gujarati Samaj, RAJMAI, AIA NY Chapter, Team Aid, REDIO, International Ahimsa Foundation, and Rivera’s Valentine Coffee joined hands to organize a grand farewell on March 16 for the outgoing Deputy Consul General of India in New York, Dr. Varun Jeph, who hails from Rajasthan.

This historic farewell was the first time so many U.S. national and international organizations came together to honor a Deputy Consul General at the Indian Consulate in New York. On behalf of the welcoming committee, Harish Thakkar and Ajay Patel warmly welcomed the guests.

Prem Bhandari, President of RANA and keynote speaker at the event, praised Dr. Varun Jeph’s dedication and working style, highlighting his 24/7 availability for the Indian diaspora across the 10 U.S. states under the jurisdiction of the Indian Consulate in New York.

Bhandari emphasized that Dr. Jeph was always accessible to the community, approachable, and solution-driven, whether for passport or visa issues or assisting in the repatriation of mortal remains to India.

Reflecting on his four decades in the U.S., Bhandari noted a remarkable transformation in Indian embassies and consulates worldwide over the past 11 years. He credited this positive change to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

Bhandari specifically mentioned that three former Consul Generals of India in New York—Dr. Gyaneshwar Mulay, Sandeep Chakravorty, and Randhir Jaiswal—transformed the Indian Consulate into a “second home” for the Indian diaspora.

He also expressed deep appreciation for Harsh Vardhan Shringla, former Foreign Secretary of India and Indian Ambassador to the U.S., calling him a “People’s Foreign Secretary” and “People’s Ambassador”. Bhandari recalled his experience working with Shringla, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, when his leadership was instrumental in assisting the Indian community.

Bhandari expressed his delight at the unity among so many significant organizations, quoting the famous phrase:
“United we stand, divided we fall.”

He also referenced the ancient Indian wisdom from the Maha Upanishad (Chapter 6, Verse 71):
“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (The world is one family).

In his closing remarks, Bhandari announced that after consulting with Padma Bhushan Dr. D.R. Mehta, Founder of BMVSS (Jaipur Foot), a free Jaipur Foot artificial limb fitment camp will be organized this year at the Golden Temple, Punjab.

A visibly touched Dr. Jeph in his farewell address reminisced his pleasant relationship with the Indian American community during his tenure of more than 3 years. “ I stand here with very mixed feelings. Like Bhandari ji said last time I was here in this hall, we were bidding farewell to my dear boss, Mr. Randhir Jaiswal. Our ambassador from Washington, DC, had joined us for that, and today, it’s my turn, my time to be here in front of you. From the bottom of my heart, I thank each one of you for taking out time. I really feel very humbled, very honored. It is my privilege, my pleasure, to have known each one of you, most of you personally, but having met almost all of you on some occasion or the other. It is a mixed feeling of gratitude, of satisfaction, a feeling of warmth, of course, lot of strong emotions, the warmth that you have shared with me, that you have bestowed on my family, my wife, my kids here and it’s never easy to say goodbye, especially to friends. It’s not easy to say goodbye, not because one is leaving a city, but because one is leaving an incredible community, a community that had become my family for the last three or four years. It was my home away from home.”

Dr. Jeph recounted the progress India has made during the last more than a decade and attributed the nation’s growth to the contribution of the Indian Diaspora. He also spoke about the constant effort of the Consulate General to provide the best services and look after the interests of the Indian American community.

“You’ve all been a part of my life, my tenure here, and for sharing your warmth, sharing your emotions, making me a part of your family. I say farewell with a deep sense of gratitude, of course, but also with a deep sense of optimism. The only way forward for this relationship is upwards. We hold very bright future, and the future of this partnership, to a great extent, lies in your hands. And I go back with great confidence that it will continue to strengthen with every day as in the past, and I really hope that our paths cross again. I’ll be based in Delhi for next two, two and a half years. So whenever you come there, please do meet me. I would keep coming back. My family is going to be here till June. I’ll most likely come back to see them. So I wouldn’t say goodbye just yet. I’ll meet several of you then. And I would like to finish by thanking you all once again, for your warmth, for your friendship, for your kindness, for your support. And I look forward to keeping in touch with all of you. May God bless America! May God bless India! May God bless the Indo American partnership! Thank you.”