ORGANISER PAR EXCELLENCE

Leadership and community organization came naturally to Inder Singh who had immigrated to the USA along with his wife in 1968. In 1981, he founded the Federation of Indian American Associations of Southern California to celebrate Indian Independence Day and Indian Republic Day on a large scale. The celebration of these two events has become an annual tradition in the greater Los Angeles area. In 1986, Inder Singh was the convenor of the 4th National Biennial Convention of the NFIA that was attended by 2,000 Indian Americans. Several dignitaries were present, among them US presidential candidate Senator Garry Hart, US Ambassador to India John Dean, Indian Ambassador to the US P.N. Kaul and Indian cabinet minister N.D. Tiwari. It was the first gathering of its kind in the West Coast of the USA.

In 1989, Mr. Singh as NFIA president oversaw the organization of the first Global Convention of People of Indian Origin. The seven-day convention attracted 3,000 people and delegates from 22 countries, including many community and political stalwarts of Indian origin from various parts of the globe. At the end of the convention, GOPIO was formed to help network the overseas Indian community. In the year 2000 he started the India Association of Los Angeles (IALA)—San Fernando Valley and also supported the formation of India Association of Inland Empire. Indian ambassadors Mira Shankar, Nirupama Rao and Arun Kumar Singh were the chief guests at the IALA programmes in the years 2010, 2013 and 2015 respectively.