GOPIO International and its chapters in the New York area organized a Meet and Greet luncheon event with Smt. Meenakhshi Lekhi, former Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture of India. It was attended by GOPIO members, chapter officials, community leaders and media representatives. It was hosted by GOPIO Life Member Ashok Bhatt at Hotel Lexington Plaza in Manhattan on November 5th.

Photo: GOPIO Chairman Dr. Abraham presenting First Day Covers cancelled by US Postal Service at the First Convention of People of Indian Origin in 1989 to Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi. In the front row from l. to r. Indian Panorama Publisher Prof. Inderjit Saluja, GOPIO Life Member and GOPIO-Manhattan Treasurer Braj Aggarwal, Dr. Abraham, Smt. Lekhi, GOPIO President Prakash Shah, GOPIO Cultural Council Co-Chair Rajul P. Shah and GOPIO Secretary Siddharth Jain.

GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham spoke on GOPIO’s mission and accomplishments. President Prakash Shah spoke on the historic perspective of the Indian Diaspora spreading over a thousand years ago in many Southeasr Asian countries which still have large Hindu temples. Now that we have over 35 million people in the Diaspora, it is in India’s interest to engage with the Diaspora closely.

Smt. Lekhi spoke on the importance of the Diaspora contributing to the STEM area in the Western countries resulting Indian Diaspora being respected all over the world. She answered many questions from the audience. GOPIO presented her with a collector’s item, two designs of First Day Covers released by the US Postal Service at the First Global Convention of People of Indian Origin held in New York in 1989.

GOPIO International Engages with Former Minister Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi