NEW YORK CITY (TIP): An Indian Parliamentary delegation consisting of Shri Birendra Prasad Baishya, Shri Vijayasai Reddy V , Shri Akshay Yadav, Smt. Sandhya Ray, Shri Tejasvi Surya , and Ms. Bansuri Swaraj was accorded a warm reception by the Consul General Binaya S. Pradhan and the Indian American community representatives at the Indian Consulate here on November 20, 2024.
Hon’ble Members of Parliament had an engaging interaction with distinguished members of the Indian-American community. They lauded the incredible achievements and appreciated the invaluable contributions of the Indian diaspora to the diverse fabric of the USA, celebrating their commitment to Indian heritage and their significant role in fostering a strong India-USA partnership.
Diaspora members, including Edison Mayor Sam Joshi , Dr. Samin K. Sharma, Dr. Thomas Abraham, Mr. Gaurav Verma , Prof. Indrajit Saluja , Dr. Avinash Gupta, Mr. Rakesh Kaul , Dr. Hari Shukla, and Mr. Jatinder Singh Bakshi, shared their perspectives on different aspects of the Indian-American relationship and expressed a strong desire to give back to the motherland.
Earlier, Consul General Binaya Srikanta Pradhan welcomed the members of the delegation , Sam Joshi, Mayor of Edison, and the Indian Diaspora members. He spoke about the Consulate’s jurisdiction and consular services. He spoke about the Bharat ko Janiye campaign launched by government of India to provide to the Indian Diaspora young people an opportunity to visit India and know the country of their origin. He also spoke about the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations from January 8 to 10, 2025 in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. Incidentally, Mr. Pradhan hails from Odisha.
It is after many years that delegations of Members of Parliament have visited the United Nations. Covid period had disrupted the regular visits of these delegations. A delegation of Members of Parliament visited the Consulate a few days ago, to be precise on November 7, 2024. It included Ms Indu Bala Goswami, Ms Kavita Patidar, Shri Sudhanshu Trivedi, Shri Sambit Patra, Shri Vivek Thakur, Shri Dharmapuri Arvind, Shri Rajiv Shukla, Shri KTS Tulsi, Ms Sushmita Dev, Shri Ram Gopal Yadav, Shri Milind Murli Deora, Shri Tiruchi Siva, , Ms Swati Maliwal, and Shri Tangella Uday Srinivas.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Sambit Patra narrated the story of Guru Nanak Dev ji’s visit to Puri where he had sung the holy AARTA, which is AARTI in Hindi language. It is one of the most poetical compositions of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Members of the Indian Diaspora that The Indian Panorama spoke to were appreciative of the initiative taken by the Consul General to have the delegations interact with the community. They were unanimous in saying that such interactions helped create a better understanding of the perspectives and contribute to strengthening of relationships.