Garden City, NY: The Associations of Indians in America (AIA) NY, hosted a farewell dinner on Sept 1 at Mint restaurant here in honor of the outgoing Deputy Consul General of India, Shatrughna Sinha to recognize his outstanding services to the Indian community.
After almost three years of shouldering the responsibility as DCG, Mr. Sinha is leaving for India. He said his posting in New York was the best he enjoyed in his long diplomatic career. He said he made many friends here and highlighted the great work of AIA during Covid time.
In a hall packed with prominent community members and leaders and media owners from the New York area, Harish Thakkar, President of AIA-NY, paid a tribute to Mr. Sinha saying he engaged with the Indian community on an unparalleled level. As a result, the community too built a special relationship with him.
In his speech, the DCG lauded AIA’s commitment to building a stronger community and a close partnership with the Indian Consulate. He thanked Harish Thakkar for his leadership and friendship.
President of AAPI-QLI Dr Abhay Malhotra and RANA President Dashrath Dugar both praised how Mr Sinha carried out his responsibilities with the highest commitment and passion.
Air India regional manager Sunil Daware said it has been a pleasure to work with the DCG and his team.
Chairman of The South Asian Times, Kamlesh Mehta said it has been a privilege to work with DCG in promoting the community priorities and that Mr Sinha has played a key role in bringing India and US closer to the benefit of both nations.
Speaker after speaker at the event commended the DCG for leaving behind a legacy of service to the community.
President of AAPI – NY Dr. Satish Anand said in his speech, “Good friends never say goodbye. They simply say ‘see you soon.’”
Ravishankar Bhooplapur, President of Xavier University School of Medicine Aruba, said it was a pleasure to have known Mr Sinha and wished him a great future ahead.
Hum Hindustani Chief Editor Jasbir Jay Singh, IDP President Deepak Bansal, community leaders Anju Sharma and Sanju Sharma presented proclamations to the DCG from lawmakers appreciating his service for the community.
JUS Punjabi chief Penny K Sandhu wished the outgoing DCG the best of luck in his new role in the External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi.
Consulate colleagues bid warm goodbye to Mr Sinha
As the Indian Consulate bid farewell to DCG Shatrughna Sinha, Consul General Randhir Jaiswal expressed his admiration and thanked him for his dedication, support and hard work during the tenure in New York, especially his contribution towards dealing with people’s issues during the pandemic.
“We wish him the best for his next innings,” the Consulate’s Facebook post says warmly.
