HC offers full support to community Indian diaspora gathers to welcome Biren Nanda, High Commissioner of India to Australia

The Federation of Indian Associations of Victoria (FIAV) hosted a dinner event in Melbourne recently to welcome Mr Biren Nanda, High Commissioner of India to Australia. The dinner was held at St Scholastica Community Centre, Burwood and was catered by Tandoori Junction Indian Restaurant. Representatives from all major Indian organisations, businesses and local media attended the event. During the dinner the High Commissioner took the opportunity to get acquainted and interact with prominent members of the community. He was accompanied by his wife Mrs Rukmani Nanda.

Mr Biren Nanda joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1978 after completing his Post Graduation in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics.

Mr Nanda has previously served as a diplomat in Indian Missions in Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Washington D.C. and Tokyo. He was the Consul General of India in Shanghai and Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of India in Tokyo. Prior to taking up this assignment in Australia, Mr Nanda was the Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of India to the Government of Indonesia. He was also Head of Division in the Ministry of External Affairs that looks after relations between India and countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Mr Nanda was officially welcomed by the President of FIAV Mr Vasan Srinivasan who sought the Commissioner’s cooperation in attempting to unite the community under one banner and gaining leverage from this combined strength towards the benefit of the community. All the other speakers echoed similar sentiments as they introduced their individual organisations/ purpose and acknowledged the need to have a united presence in Australia. The High Commissioner heard from Prof Suresh Bhargava (RMIT) Dr Gurdip Aurora (AISV), Mr Arun Sharma (Celebrate India), Mrs Madhu Dudeja (FIWAA), Mr Raj Dudeja (Indian Media Owner’s Association) Mr Karan Gandhok, Mr Ravi Bhatia (AIBC), among others. Mr Ambrish Deshmukh performed the role of MC for the evening.

In his address to the audience Mr Nanda spoke about the strength and potential of the economy in India. He touched upon India’s trade and bilateral relationships with Australia that has grown exponentially over the years and has seen a number of acquisitions, mergers, transfer of knowledge in various sectors benefitting both the countries. He offered statistics on crime especially sexual assaults. According to him sexual crimes are not unique to India, (in the light of the global furore over the Delhi gang rape), but are equally rampant in all parts of the world. He urged people to protest, censure and condemn such heinous acts. Mr Nanda also spoke about the cultural importance of the Indian community, and ended his speech by offering his full support to the Indian diaspora in Melbourne, wishing them well in all their endeavours.

The meet and greet purpose of the event was well achieved as

Mr Vasan Srinivasan introduced individual invitees to the High Commissioner and his wife. The High Commissioner was also requested to present a trophy to the winning cricket team of FIAV X1who recently beat the Australian Transplant Cricket Club. The audience also heard from Dr. Dinesh Parekh who spoke at length about his collection of Indian artifacts that has been lovingly put together over the years and is on display at Museum India (part of the Hindu Society of Victoria’s Cultural Centre) adjacent to the Shiva Vishnu temple in

Downs. He invited the audience to visit and enjoy the art that has given him enormous pride and pleasure. He spoke of his intentions to eventually bestow all the pieces to the HSV. On that positive note ended a well-organised event with a simple agenda of celebrating the success of individuals and organisations that are shaping the future of the Indian community in Victoria and introducing them to the newly appointed High Commissioner.