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Welcome dinner for Deputy Chief of Mission, Ambassador, Arun K. Singh by the Indian American community of the Greater Washington area

Washington, DC
January 25, 2009

The Indian American community of the Greater Washington area organized a well attended reception on January 25, 2009 at 1830 hours at the Indian Experience Restaurant in downtown Washington DC to welcome Ambassador Arun Kumar Singh as the new Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of India, Washington DC. About 170 representatives of all the major Indian American associations of the Greater Washington area had gathered to give Ambassador Singh a warm and affectionate welcome. In a programme which lasted for about 3 hours, Dr. Sambhu N. Banik set the ball rolling. Dr. Har Swarup Singh, who had earlier served as an Ambassador, an LG and a Vice-Chancellor, conducted the programme while Dr. Ram Singh, President, IAFPE, Virginia Chapter and a senior member of the Indian American community, introduced him to the audience. 

2. A number of Indian American leaders including Mr. Kumar Singh (President, ICCC), Dr. Renuka Misra (President, GOPIO), Mr. Arvind Solanki (President, RANA), Mr. Kaleem Kawaja (AIM), Dr. Rajen Anand (Chairman, NFIA), Mr. Ravi Sakuja (National President, IAFPE), Mr. Sunil Singh (President, NCAIA), Mr. Sunny Wycliffe (FOKANA), Mr. Benoy Thomas (KAGWA), Mrs. Alka Batra (President, Chetna), Mr. Om Sharma (President, IAFPE, Maryland Chapter), Mr. Satish Gupta (ex-President, ICCC) and Dr. Parthasarathy Pillai (ex-President, NFIA) spoke briefly to welcome Ambassador Singh and to assure him of their cooperation. Mr. Sanjay Sinha, Minister (Personnel & Community Affairs), thanked them for organizing an impressive gathering of the community leaders in the Greater Washington area, and exhorted them to continue to provide cooperation to the Embassy.

3. Ambassador Singh, in his brief remarks, thanked the community leaders and assured them that the Embassy would continue to maintain a warm and cooperative relationship with them. He acknowledged that the Indian community had done very well in this country, and that they were considered among the most educated and earning ethnic groups in the US. The Indian community had also played a significant role in strengthening the India-US relationship and in the successful realization of the India-US Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement. He also referred to the importance the Government of India attached to the Indian Diaspora abroad. A separate Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs had been created to deal with NRI affairs, including through facilitation of the investment services. 

4. Mrs. Gisela Gani proposed the vote of thanks.