Located at 3 East 64th Street, the Consulate is a satisfyingly imposing building. We went especially to meet the Consul General, Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay who welcomed us warmly. He was pleased that "mainstream Americans" were present to hear the lecture by Mr. Aziz Haniffa on "Role of Ethnic Media in promoting India-US ties, part of the 2014-15 Lecture Series "Media India". The lecture was about Mr. Haniffa's career with India Abroad which has fielded him in Washington D.C. There are 4.5 million Indian Americans, a cohesive community with a strong interest in international affairs and Mr. Aziz has been in a position to report on national and international issues due to his expertise and the many contacts he has made in his 22 years with India Abroad.The Consulate is in a former Vanderbilt home and quite grand, as one would expect. After the lecture a buffet dinner was served of good Indian food, but on paper plates and with no tables or chairs. It is tricky eating off a floppy paper plate while standing, especially when you are very conscious that turmeric, used in many Indian dishes, will stain your new suit forever if you have a spill.
We look forward to attending future lectures and perhaps meeting with Consul Mulay to discuss our concerns related to potential persecution of Christians and Muslims in India. Thanks to friend Arvind Vora, for the invitation and introductions.
