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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                                   JULY 17, 2026    |  The Indian Eye 20

                          Indian Diaspora Center Hosts 2026

                               Annual Symposium on the topic,

              Indian TV – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

            OUR BUREAU
            Elmont, NY
                  he Indian Diaspora Center
                  at the Dr. Thomas Abraham
            TLibrary, in collaboration with
            the Global Organization of People of
            Indian Origin–Manhattan  Chapter
            (GOPIO-Manhattan) and the Indian
            American Kerala Cultural and Civic
            Center, hosted its 2026 Annual Sym-
            posium on Sunday, June 28, at the
            Kerala Center in Elmont, New York.
                The symposium, “Indian Televi-
            sion – Yesterday, Today and Tomor-
            row,” brought together distinguished
            veterans of Indian television and
            journalism for an engaging panel dis-
            cussion and interactive session. The
            panel featured former Doordarshan
            news presenters Sheila  Chaman and
            Ramu Damodaran, former Indian
            Ambassador T.P. Sreenivasan, who
            currently hosts the television program
            Around and Inside on Asianet TV,
            and Sree Sreenivasan, noted digital
            media expert, journalism professor,
            host of the Sunday NYT Readalong,
            and co-founder of the South Asian
            Journalists Association (SAJA).
                The program began with a net-
            working tea and coffee reception,
            followed by opening remarks from
            Kerala Center President Alex Esthap-
            pan, who welcomed the audience and
            expressed pride in the Kerala Center
            serving as the home of the Dr. Thomas
            Abraham Library and the Indian Di-  India and its diaspora more accessible  portunities, giving viewers a genuine  remarked that the evolution from a
            aspora Center.                    to the public.                    choice in what they could watch.”  single government broadcaster to  a
                Dr. Thomas Abraham, Found-        As June 28 also marked the birth    Damodaran noted that Prime  vibrant and diverse media ecosystem
            er of the Indian Diaspora Center,  anniversary of former Indian Prime  Minister Rao recognized India’s  mirrored India’s broader economic
            spoke about the Center’s mission to  Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao, the  greatest strength as its vast reservoir of  and social transformation unleashed
            preserve the history, achievements,  symposium began with a special trib-  human talent and professional skills.  by the reforms of the early 1990s.
            and contributions of the global Indi-  ute delivered by Ramu Damodaran,  Economic liberalization, he said, was   Damodaran further observed,
            an diaspora. He noted that the Cen-  who had served in Prime Minister  driven by the belief that Indians, both  “Mr. Rao was perhaps the first Indian
            ter houses an extensive collection of  Rao’s office before joining the United  at home and abroad, should have  Prime Minister to fully appreciate how
            books and publications on the Indian  Nations.                      greater opportunities to innovate,  effortlessly the United States attracted
            diaspora, alongside works on India    Paying tribute to the late Prime  compete, and realize their full po-  and benefited from the world’s finest
            and Indian civilization. Dr. Abraham  Minister, Damodaran observed, “P. V.  tential. By opening the economy and  minds. He believed that, irrespective
            also highlighted GOPIO’s initiative to  Narasimha Rao is rightly remembered  expanding the media landscape, Rao  of politics, India should learn from
            establish India Collections in public  for launching India’s economic liber-  helped lay the foundation for India’s  that example by creating an environ-
            libraries across the New York metro-  alization. Equally significant, however,  emergence as a global center for tech-  ment where talent could flourish and
            politan area through book donations  was his commitment to liberalizing the  nology, entrepreneurship, and com-  innovation could thrive.”
            from the Consulate General of India  human mind. One visible expression  munications.                     Moderator  Sree  Sreenivasan
            and members of the Indian American  of that vision was opening Indian tele-  Reflecting  on  the  transforma-  then introduced veteran Doordarshan
            community, making information on  vision to new channels and new op-  tion of Indian television, Damodaran   Continued on next page... >>

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