NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Aziz Haniffa, Managing Editor and Chief Diplomatic and Political Correspondent of America’s most widely read South Asian newspaper India Abroad, talked about the “Role of Ethnic Media in Promoting India-US Ties” under a widely appreciated intellectual lecture series “Media India Lecture Series: 2014-15”. Inaugurating the lecture series, Consul General Mulay in his welcome speech informed about the events taking place in the Consulate, the openness embraced by the Consulate and future plans to arrange various events and interactions.

He praised Mr. Haniffa’s efforts as well as the contribution of India Abroad to serve the Indian-American community by keeping them abreast of the happenings from their perspective since its inception in 1970. He compared the print media with the Visual media and elaborated on the role of ethnic media. Mr. Haniffa spoke of his journey with India Abroad which started when he completed his course in journalism, Mr. Gopal Raju, the founder-publisher of India Abroad, and he himself not only worked for this publication but also played important role during various phases of Indo-US relations right from the days of Emergency to the present when India is an important strategic partner of US in South Asia.

Mr. Aziz Haniffa spoke at length about how he worked to promote the cause of India and acted as a bridge between India and the US.


Citing India Abroad as a case study, he discussed about the events after India conducted its nuclear tests and how India Abroad team pursued with the American government for the Indian cause. He recounted the period of rapport between Ronald Reagan and Rajiv Gandhi, the period of creating “Friends of India” in Senator Steven Solarz, the efforts of stymieing anti- India measures in the Congress, the period of Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. and their support to India against certain strong lobbies within their ruling establishment and the positive role played by the ethnic press in creating a positive climate for better relations.


A view of the gathering


Mr. Mulay also introduced Ms S. Mitra Kalita, Ideas Editor at Quartz. She worked previously at The Wall Street Journal and is a well-known writer too. Ms Kalita moderated the discussion that the audience found interesting. Many important personalities from the mainstream as well as ethnic media attended the lecture and praised the Consulate’s initiative of the Media India-series.