NRI Award for Harry Walia

At the NRI Awards held in New Delhi in early January, Sydney’s Harmohan (Harry) Singh Walia was awarded the Community Leadership Award.

Instituted by the India Empire monthly magazine, the theme for the NRI Awards 2010 was “Excellence, Purpose and Achievement in the Overseas Indian Community.”

Harry Walia’s citation read as follows:

Harmohan Singh Walia has demonstrated significant and lasting contribution to the support of the Indian Diaspora in Australia. He has been able to provide this much-needed leadership in mentoring the community as GOPIO Sydney North West President.

At a time when India has raised serious concerns about attacks on students, he has liaised with local authorities. He offers overseas students free guidance seminars on immigration, jobs and living and adjustment in Australia.

Mr Vayalar Ravi, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs responsible for framing policies for over 25 million members of the Indian Diaspora, presented the award to Mr Walia.

Harry Walia is currently active in the community as president of the GOPIO (Global Organisation of Persons of Indian Origin). However he has enjoyed high profile in Australia’s Punjabi community ever since he came here in 1991. He became involved in many community activities such as Punjabi radio and Gurudwara programs. At the

Sydney 2000 Olympics, Harry won an opportunity through his work to carry the Olympic Torch, and the news caused much enthusiasm in the Punjabi community which was much smaller then than it is now. Soon after, he found opportunity to extend himself into the mainstream with activities of the Australian Labor Party, of which he had become a member quite soon after his arrival here. He contested the Local Council elections at the Baulkham Hills Shire Council in March 2004, and the federal elections at the Mitchell constituency in October 2004.

Mr Walia is an industrial engineer by background.

At the January event, sixteen distinguished Overseas Indians from 11 countries received the NRI Awards. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Dr Lenny Saith, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister in Trinidad and Tobago.

The other awardees included Ms Nishma Gosrani from the U.K. (Most Promising Overseas Indian Female), Mr Jean Regis Ramsamy from ReUnion Islands (Most Promising Overseas Indian Male), Mr Logie Naidoo from South Africa (Community Service in African Region), Mr Mahyendrah Utchanah from Mauritius (Community Service from Africa and Indian Ocean Region), Judge Ajit Swaran Singh from New Zealand (Community Services in Asia Pacific Region), Mr Krishnamurthy Kumar from the players.

The current tournament is in the final stages, with the winter season commencing in May. No less than 36 teams have expressed an interest in playing next season.

“We are currently in talk with some Ranji players in India to come and play next season,” Sanjiv revealed. “Who knows, we might even have an IPL-style auction …”.

But before this, Sanjiv is preparing to launch a special day of women’s cricket shortly. Stay tuned for more on this one!

Our heartiest congratulations to Sanjiv, a member of the Indian Link family (a contributor both to the newspaper and to Indian Link Radio).

Rajni

U.A.E. (Community Services in the GCC), Mr Harmohan Singh Walia from Australia (Community Services in Asia Pacific Region), Dato’ Professor Joseph Adaikalam from Malaysia (Business Leadership in South Asia and Far East Region), Dr Rami Ranger from the U.K. (Business Leadership in U.K. and Europe), H.E. Mookhesswur Choonee from Mauritius (Cultural Leadership), H.E. Pundit Maniedeo Persad from Trinidad and Tobago (Excellence in Diplomacy), Mrs Leela Gujadhur Sarup from Mauritius (Academic Leadership), Dr Samir Shah from USA (Excellence in Software and IT), Dr Mani Bhaumik from USA (Excellence in Sciences) and Dr Ruby Dhalla from Canada (Political Leadership).