Indian media representatives listening to Ms Mukta in Chicago
CHICAGO: She came, she saw and she won the hearts of many. The newly arrived Indian Consul General Ms Mukta Tomar has begun her stint in Chicagoland as the head of the Indian Consulate with a little difference – seeking to strike a rapport with community activists, media and the community members at large. With her effusive manner she succeeded in winning plaudits from them all.
She invited ethnic Indian media representatives on Tuesday October 19 at her office in Chicago Downtown, and said that “you are the true Ambassadors of India as we Consul Generals come and go but you are here for long and for ever. I look forward to your continued support and am amenable to all constructive suggestions.”
Present on the occasion were editors and correspondents from Sikh TV, TV Asia, Malayali Sangman, to Gujarati Divya Bhaskar Sandesh and Akila to English print media – India Tribune, India Post, Indian Reporter, Desi Talk, Hi India, NRI Today and Asian Media USA. The consensus among the media representatives was that the CG Office should be more responsive to the people as well as to the media that serves as a link between the community and government offices.
Praising the contributions that the Indian community across the world makes to the betterment of the society they live in, Tomar said that members of the Indian community here also are a great source of pride for all of us because of their efforts in contributing to the welfare of the society while retaining their cultural ties and heritage.
CG Tomar said the Indian Consulate office has been streamlined and the officers as well as the staff are working hard even doing “over-time.” But, she said, she would see to it that there is “service with a smile”. The friction arises when the rules for passport, visa, PIO Card or OCI are not followed in letter. “But we will definitely try to make things as simple as possible and also be very amiable to all visiting the Consulate,” she said.
Accepting a suggestion from media, she said that she would welcome periodic meet the press sessions for a healthy exchange of ideas on substantive issues.
The Chicago Consulate was established in 1976 and currently there are 26 persons working at the Consulate, 15 of whom who are locals and 11 individuals directly from India, Consul Bishwas Sakpal pointed out.
In her brief speech at the end of nearly two-hour media meet, Ms Tomar thanked all present and observed that it would be her effort to get the community at large involved in cementing political and economic ties between India and USA. She felt that the forthcoming visit of President Obama would be a historic milestone in the Indo-US relationship.
Earlier in the day, a group of FIA (Federation of Indian Associations) leaders met Ms Tomar at the Consulate. The meeting was sought by the FIA Trustees and other active workers and one of their uppermost concerns was the alleged mishandling of Consulate affairs by previous Consul General Ashok Attri.
The FIA had the grouse that there was a systematic effort on the part of Attri to sidetrack this august body for “personal” reasons and that this needed to end with the change in stewardship at the Consulate.
According to FIA sources, the other matters of concern to the community were also brought to the attention of the new CG. One related to the issuance of passports to Indians here who have overstayed or have not renewed their passports because they lost them.
The Indian Consulate takes a stiff stand seeking documents about their status and would not entertain their renewal applications. Hassles about OCI cards, redemption fees for not surrendering the passports, and at time rough handling by the staff of outsourced agency Travasia also figured into the discussion.
Ms Tomar told this paper that she listened to their views as essentially the meet was to know each other for healthy interaction.
The FIA group consisted of Iftekhar Shareef, Sohan Joshi, Sunny Gabhawala, Keerthi Ravoori, Sohan Joshi, Kanti Patel, Prahlad Patil, Ranjit Ganguly and Babu Patel. It was brought to the attention of the CG Tomar that FIA celebrates national events like Republic Day and India Day with quite pomp and dignity besides entertaining prominent political, economic and social celebrities from India. It is a link between the community and the concerned Indian authorities here and back home in India, the group pointed out.
Ms. Mukta Dutta Tomar commenced her career at the Indian Consulate here in August 2010. Prior to this, she served as Deputy High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh besides serving at Indian Embassies across the world including in cities such as Paris, Yangon, Kathmandu and Madrid.
Ramesh Soparawala
India Post News Service
