India’s Consul General in New York Mr. Sandeep Chakravorty hosted an online interactive session for GOPIO Life Members and GOPIO chapter officials from the New York area on April 3rd. Other officials from the Indian Consulate present at the interactive session included Deputy Consul General Shatrugna Sinha, Consul for Political and POC Mr. Vipul Mesariya and Community Affairs Consul A.K. Vijayakrishnan.
GOPIO International officials included its Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, Vice President Ram Gadhavi, Secretary Dr. Rajeev Mehta, International Coordinator Dr. Asha Samant, Media Council Chair Jasbir Kaur, GOPIO-New York President Beena Kothari, GOPIO-CT President Ashok Nichani, GOPIO-Central Jersey official President Kunal Mehta, GOPIO Manhattan officials and several other chapter officials.
Consul General Chakravorty gave a brief of the Indian Consulate functioning and how it has been helping the Indian American community as well as Indian students and visitors who are stuck in the US because of lockdown due to Coronavirus. GOPIO chapters highlighted their activities during the lockdown period especially arranging online webinars and helping the community including senior citizens. There were several questions to the consulate officials on when the Indian visitors can return back to India and lifting of travel ban of OCI card holders. Consul General Chakravorty said that it would take several weeks to get back to the normalcy on these issues.
The Indian Consulate plans several other online interactive sessions covering talks by eminent persons, webinar on important community issues, musical programs and children’s programs.