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Overseas Minister Vayalar Ravi
at a Luncheon Reception by the N.F.IA.; GFUSA; and Atlanta-India Lions Club |
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 Antony Thaliath; Minister Ravi,Dr.Jay Tribby;Subash Razdan;and Giriraj Rao Giriraj Rao, co-founder and currently the Executive Director,GFUSA, said he was pleased to heartily welcome the Minister Ravi to Atlanta, a ‘City of Peace’, home of the American Civil Rights Movement and Dr.Martin Luther King,Jr.;a home for the King Center and Carter Center and hopefully in the near future, an envisioned home of the Gandhi Center, USA. It would then be a historic and inspiring ‘Triangle of Peace’. Had Mahatma Gandhi or Bapu been alive today, he would have recognized Atlanta as the Kashi of America, he quipped. Lauding the leadership of Mayor Shirley Franklin, he said City of Atlanta was prospering by leaps and bounds. Rao narrated that in 1998, GFUSA dedicated the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, first ever on the Federal land, under the sponsorship of NFIA, and with collaboration of the Government of India, and countless Associations and Corporations, under the stellar leadership of GFUSA Acting Chairman Subash Razdan, in the historic M.L.K.Jr., National Historic Site Introducing Dr.Jay Tribby, Razdan said that it was also extremely fortunate that he could attend on behalf of his boss, Kwanza Hall, Atlanta City Councilor (District 2). The timing could not have been any better! Because it is in District 2 that the GFUSA is hoping to open Gandhi Center, USA. He said that both Hall and Dr.Tribby are great friends of the Indian-American community and the GFUSA looked forward to working with them in setting up the Gandhi Center. The Guest Speaker, Dr.Tribby told the attendees that Atlanta City Council member Kwanza Hall’s office welcomed guests to the district, which served as the host district for the AAPI meeting and the GFUSA reception at the Haveli Indian Restaurant. “Our district feels most closely Atlanta’s connection to Mahatma Gandhi, and we are honored by your colleagues’ investment in the district through this week’s AAPI convention. On behalf of the district which is the home of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Historic District and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, welcome to District 2.” Following introduction of Minster Ravi by Antony, Razdan in an impassioned speech, implored the Minister to act on three important Appeals/Resolutions that were presented on behalf of NFIA and the GFUSA. On the need for an Indian Consulate office in Atlanta, Georgia. Subash said that though Houston Consulate provided roaming services for Visas etc., the Indian-American community has burgeoned sufficiently to merit a physical presence of a Consulate here. Direct India airline flights from Atlanta to major cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, New Delhi etc. would greatly help the passengers. The third Appeal was to support launching of Gandhi Center, USA, in the M.L.K. Historic District of Atlanta. The Gandhi Center, USA will not merely be a Center for peace and non-violence but it will also provide health clinics. He said that AAPI and physicians who are members of AAPI/GAPI have shown interest in volunteering for this noble cause. The Center will also attempt to hold free SAT coaching classes by academicians, professionals and intellectuals in the Indian American community. Such services will go beyond the other objectives of the GFUSA, he asserted. As the Gandhi Center, USA evolves projects. Seminars for Human rights/civil rights will be undertaken. He then went on to recognize former national leaders who were present- Dr.Sudhir Parikh, Krishna Srinivasa,Gopal Bashist,Ramesh Kapoor ,to name a few and other NFIA officials as well. These national leaders then presented bouquets to the dignitaries at the reception.  Minister Ravi with some of the attendees. The Minister acknowledged the
Appeals/Resolutions received by him and addressed each issue
presented to him. He said his Ministry will be recommending
about starting the Air-India service from Atlanta because of its
importance as a gateway to the southeast of USA.and also because
Atlanta has a growing Indian American population. Regarding the
Consulate Office in Atlanta, he said it is a good suggestion;
however, these issues are reciprocal in nature. Both the US and
the Indian Government will have to explore this together. If
India gets one more Consulate in USA, India will also have to
provide one more Consulate to USA in India and vice-versa. He
praised the Atlanta community for its vision to memorialize
Gandhi in the city of Atlanta. The Statue has a tremendous
significance and serves as a reminder of the struggles and
sacrifices for human rights and civil rights in India as well as
USA. “Naturally, under this inspiration of Gandhi’s message, to
have a Gandhi Center in the King Historic Site would be most
cherishing and befitting”, he said. He thanked Dr.Jay Tribby,
the Chief of Staff for Council District 2, for taking keen
interest in the proposal by the Indian Community under the
leadership of GFUSA. He also talked about the good work that the
national organization AAPI has been doing in USA and in India.
He referred to the recent signing of AAPI’s memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with the Indian government during the
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Hyderabad earlier this year as per
which the well known doctors' body would work for the
improvement of healthcare facilities in rural India. The
luncheon meeting was also attended by two representatives each
from Andhra Pradesh and Bihar along with his entourage. This was
as a result of the AAPI’s delegation holding a core-group
meeting with the Ministry of Indian Affairs in New Delhi last
month in which it was decided that two pilot projects would be
launched in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. |
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