Inder Singh
Chairman, GOPIO

Mr Inder Singh was elevated to the position of Chairman in August, 2009 after serving as the president of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), an international body of NRIs/PIOs serving the interests of the globally spread Indian diaspora. Before he took over as president in 2004, GOPIO was a delegate-based organization; one country, one delegate, similar to the United Nations model. He changed the organization structure and made it chapter-based, initiating chapters in various countries. GOPIO now has over fifty chapters and has become a more globally representative body. 

Mr. Singh has also increased the activities of the organization in many other significant ways. Prior to 2004, GOPIO used to hold a convention once in three years but during the last six years, 13 international conferences have been organized. Through these conferences, GOPIO provides an active and well recognized platform for dialogue and discussion to the worldwide Indian diaspora. These conferences have also provided an opportunity for sharing the experiences of international Indian communities on a common platform and have helped foster a feeling of "Indianness” and fellowship among the NRIs/PIOs. They also help bring the Indian diaspora closer to India and strengthen the inherent bonds of history, heritage, culture and tradition.

Inder Singh has a wide array of related community experience and has built several Indian community institutions in the past 40 years. He is heavily involved with the Indian American Heritage Foundation which recognizes and rewards talented Indian American high school graduates every year. The Foundation has given scholarships worth thousands of dollars during the last 23 years to the Indian community’s most brilliant high school graduates in Southern California. 

Among the notable achievements that Mr. Singh initiated was the national recognition of late Dalip Singh Saund, the first Indian American elected to the U.S. Congress. In 2002, Mr. Singh, with the support of some committed community activists in Southern California, organized a highly successful commemoration event for national recognition of the late Saund. 

As a result of effective awareness created by the publicity about the Saund commemoration event, a bill in the US Congress called for the placement of a portrait of the former Congressman in the US Capitol Building or inside a House office building. Another bill named a building, 'Dalip Singh Saund Post Office Building' in Temecula, Riverside County in California. The Government of India recognized Saund by naming one of the conference halls as “Dalip Singh Saund Hall” at the first Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in New Delhi in 2003. 

Mr. Singh regularly writes about the Indian diaspora, particularly about the Indian the American diaspora. His articles have been published in Indian newspapers in the US and in magazines in India and elsewhere. He is also invited to speak at conferences in universities and other events on various aspects of the global Indian diaspora. Recently, he recorded five episodes of the history of Indian Americans which aired weekly from November 14, 2009.

Inder Singh has spent many years of his life on community activities on issues dear to the Indian American community and for the last six years to the global Indian diaspora in particular. He has been a community architect, advocate, social entrepreneur and is a dedicated and committed community activist.

Thomas Abraham
former Chairman, GOPIO International

Dr Thomas Abraham needs no introduction. The Indian American has been involved in the NRI/PIO movement for the last three decades. As the Founder President and Chairman Emeritus of GOPIO, Dr Abraham coined the word PIO (people of Indian origin) in 1989, when he put together the First Convention of People of Indian Origin in New York. 

His greatest achievement has been initiating and building several NRI/PIO Indian community institutions in the last 35 years, including the Federation of Indian Associations of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in 1977; the National Federation of Indian-American Associations in 1980, and the GOPIO in 1989.

Through these organisations, Dr Abraham has helped build a solid base for India in various countries and the Indian diaspora. In the 20 years since setting up GOPIO, Dr Abraham launched several new activities for the organisation and took up several issues of NRIs/PIOs to the United Nations, India and other countries. 

He was presented with Bharatvanshi Gaurav (Person of Indian Origin Pride) Award by former Vice President of India Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in 2008. 

He also instituted the Jagdish Bhagwati Chair for Indian Political Economy at Columbia University ($4.0 million endowment), 1992-2000.

Professionally, Dr Abraham is an expert in advanced materials and nanotechnology and is President of Innovative Research and Products (iRAP), Inc., a Stamford, Connecticut (USA) based technology and market research firm. Dr Abraham has written over 50 papers.

Ashook K. Ramsaran
Executive Vice President, GOPIO

Born in Guyana as a fourth generation PIO and currently a citizen of the US, Ashook Ramsaran was elected in August 2009 as Executive Vice President of Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO International). Earlier Ramsaran was Secretary General, in which position he contributed significantly to GOPIO’s structural and organizational improvements, applying his expertise and acquired management and organizational skills to refinement of its by-laws, definitions of policies, guidelines and mission statements of all councils, development of chapter and council reporting formats, comprehensive criteria for annual awards, as well as functional and operational procedures for GOPIO’s Human Rights Council. He actively promotes GOPIO and its interests, and the expansion of chapters and councils globally. 

Ramsaran was the Convenor of its successful 20th Anniversary Convention held in New York from August 21-23, 2009. He planned and managed GOPIO’s 2004 Human Rights Conference held at St. John’s University in New York. He is also Co-Editor of GOPIO’s monthly newsletter. Mr. Ramsaran initiated, planned and coordinated the highly successful July 2006 protest rally at the United Nations against the blatant abuse of the rule of law and violation of due process by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago targeted at persons of Indian origin, in particular Chief Justice Sharma.

Ramsaran initated and chaired the first “Tracing Our Roots” session at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) 2005 in Mumbai; he was again a speaker on “Engaging PIOs in India’s Development” at PBD 2007 in New Delhi, Mini PBD 2007 in New York; speaker on “Engaging The Diaspora - The Way Forward: The Americas” at PBD 2008 in New Delhi; Chairperson of Session on Caribbean at PBD 2009 in Chennai; speaker at PBD Europe September 2009 at The Hague; and speaker/participant at PBD 2010 in New Delhi. Mr. Ramsaran actively supported and promoted the recently signed India-US nuclear treaty. 
Ramsaran’s efforts contribute significantly to analyses and discourse on relevant and meaningful PIO issues of interest for the promotion of civic, economic and cultural benefits. He is well known and contributes articles and interviews on behalf of GOPIO. In played a key role in the the Government of India Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) Minister Vayalar Ravi’s high power delegation to attend Indian Arrival Days in several PIO countries in the Caribbean region: Trinidad (May 31), St. Vincent’s (June 1), Suriname (June 4) as well as a visit to Guyana. That high level trip to the region brought more awareness of the Caribbean PIO community to MOIA and mobilised more GOPIO chapters. 

Lord Diljit Singh Rana
President, GOPIO International

Diljit Rana was elected president of GOPIO International at GOPIO’s 20th Anniversary Celebration and Convention held in New York on August 21-23, 2009.

Diljit Rana has been active in the community for over 30 years. He was part of the committee which organized the two-day Regional European Conference in 1989 to mobilize the Indian community about the First Convention of People of Indian Origin held in New York in 1989. He was Vice President of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the year 2003 and president for 2004 and 2005.
In 2004, Diljit Rana was appointed first honorary Indian Consul for Northern Ireland. The same year he was elevated to the House of Lords as a Cross Bench Peer.

Diljit Rana arrived in Britain in 1963 and moved to Northern Ireland in 1966. He started Andras House Ltd, a property development and hospitality management company which today employs over 300 people. In 1990, he built the 82-bed (Plaza Hotel) Holiday Inn Garden Court which was among the first internationally branded hotels in Belfast. 

Since then, he has opened many more such as Renshaws, a 22-bedroom hotel in 1992, Holiday Inn with 114 beds in 1996, the 120-bed Ramada Hotel in 2001, and Days Hotel (the biggest hotel in bedroom in Northern Ireland) in 2003. He also opened Spice Club Indian Restaurant, a new concept in Indian cuisine in 2004, and Omni Ayurveda Health & Beauty Centre (The first authentic ayurvedic centre in Ireland).

Diljit Rana is a well known philanthropist. In 1992, he started sponsorship of the Rana Bursary Award for the School of Architecture, Queen's University in Belfast. In 1996, he established the Rana Charitable Trust to support local charities and arrange cultural events with the aim of promoting better understanding between different cultures. In 1998, he started the construction of a Women’s College (3rd level education) in Sanghol, Punjab. 

This educational institution provides educational facilities for young women and brings much needed regeneration to the village and surrounding areas. One of the two colleges at Sanghol will have affiliation with Punjabi University, Patiala (India) and the other will be affiliated to the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland and thus provide vocational courses with UK standards. The Sanghol Educational Project was inaugurated by the honourable President of India APJ Abdul Kalam on 17th August 2006.

Raj Loomba
Regional Vice President of Eurpean Region, GOPIO

Raj Loomba is Regional Vice President of the European Region, GOPIO International. He is involved with many community organizations—he is Vice President of Safer London Foundation, Chairman of Friends of Three Faiths Forum, UK, and Vice-President, Barnardo’s, the UK’s leading children’s charity.
In 2005, Mr Loomba launched International Widows Day to provide a focus for building effective global action to combat the cycle of poverty, disease and injustice that is faced by millions of widows all over the world. In 2006, the Loomba Trust organized an International Widows Conference chaired by Cherie Booth Blair.

In 1997, Mr Loomba chaired the organizing committee for the British Indian Golden Jubilee Banquet held at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel to celebrate the 50th anniversary of India’s independence. The Prince of Wales was the guest of honour at this glittering event, and other speakers and guests included former Prime Minister Tony Blair, and three of his predecessors. Mr Loomba, as chairman of the British Indian Golden Jubilee Banquet Fund, runs a program of Visiting Fellowships at Cambridge, Oxford and other leading universities including Edinburgh, Hull and Wales, whereby prominent Indian academics raise awareness of India’s diverse heritage and current achievements as an emerging force in the world economy.

Mr Loomba started his business in 1964 and built Rinku Group PLC, one of the most highly regarded companies in the UK fashion and clothing industry. The Rinku Group designs and produces the Tigi-Wear, Viz-A-Viz and iZ brands which are widely distributed wholesale. They are also sold through the Group’s over 300-plus concessions around the UK. The Rinku Group also supplies major multiples with its own label. The Group employs more than 300 people in the UK and China, and has its own factory in Delhi.

Mr Loomba has been honoured with many awards such as The Asian Who’s Who “The Charity of the Year Award –2006, Rotary - Paul Harris Fellow, Pride of India Gold Medal, 1998, Asian of the Year Award -1997, International Excellence Award 1991, and Hind Rattan Award 1991.

Sunny Kulathakal
International Coordinator (Middle East), GOPIO

Sunny Kulathakal is International Coordinator (Middle East) for the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO). He was GOPIO Vice President (Middle East) for four years until August 2009 when his position was elevated to International Coordinator (Middle East).

Mr Kulathakal is very involved with the issues and concerns of the Indian community in the Middle East. Currently, he is trying to help rehabilitate Indian workers from the Gulf countries who have been stranded because of various reasons. He is a consummate fund raiser and has raised substantial amounts for philanthropic institutions.

Mr Kulathakal has published a series of articles regarding the problems faced by overseas Indians in the Gulf region. He relentlessly pursued with the Government of India, State Governments, Indian Embassies and Consulates and other forums to find solutions to the continuing problems facing Indians in the Gulf area. “They are cheated by various agencies who promise them jobs there. They end up doing menial jobs, making very little money,’’ said the 60-year-old from Bahrain. ‘‘The suicide rate among them is high and they need to be rehabilitated.’’

During 1977-78, he conducted a survey and did research on the life style of Indians in the Gulf countries. A summary of the findings was serialized in The Illustrated Weekly of India as cover story articles in 1978. During 1980-84 as Managing Editor of Gulf Asian Magazine, he championed the cause of NRIs in their problems regarding airfare, education of children and investment opportunities in India.

Since 1998, Mr. Kulathakal has been working in Bahrain as Managing Editor of ‘Gulf Who’s Who Directory’ which was first published in 1978. The 600-page directory, containing all data and information about Bahrain and its rules and regulations, was launched by Oil and Gas Affairs Minister and National Oil and Gas Authority chairman Dr Abdulhussain Mirza. The mega publication is revised and published every two years by Sunliz Publications.

Mr. Kulathakal is the author of four bestselling books in Malayalam - ‘Story of a Martyr’ (Biography of Dr. Martin Luther King), ‘The World of Drugs’, ‘The World of Fallen Women’ and ‘The Footprints’. 

— Compiled by Rakesh Krishnan

January 2010