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    The Indian Eye
             NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                                   AUGUST 21, 2026                                      20

                           Consulate General of India conducts

            community consular service camp in Hicksville

            NEERAJ DHAR
            HICKSVILLE, NY
                  he Consulate General of India
                  (CGI), New York, conducted
            Ta highly successful Commu-
            nity Consular Service Camp at Pearl
            Banquet Hall in Hicksville, bringing
            essential consular services and direct
            assistance closer to the community.
                The camp was organized by the
            American Punjabi Society (APS),
            with support from the Rajasthan As-
            sociation of North America (RANA),
            BRUHUD New York Seniors, and
            Jaipur Foot USA.
                Although  scheduled from 11:00
            AM to 3:00 PM, people began lining up
            as early as 10:00 AM, and CGI and VFS
            personnel continued assisting attendees
            until  approximately  4:00  PM  because
            of  the  strong  community  response.  matters were addressed, with 13 CGI
                The reach of the camp extended   and  VFS  officers  and  staff  partici-
            well beyond Long Island. Community   pating. Forty APS youth volunteers,
            members traveled from Massachusetts,   ages 12 to 17, assisted throughout the
            New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylva-  camp, while two Notaries Public also
            nia, and across New York specifically   provided assistance.
            to obtain consular services and assis-  For many attendees, the value
            tance. Particularly gratifying was that   of the camp was not merely learning
            those who traveled long distances were   what they needed to do, but having ac-
            able to have their concerns addressed   cess to the appropriate CGI and VFS
            and received the services, assistance,   personnel who could review their con-
            or guidance they had come seeking.  cerns, provide direct assistance, and
                                              help move their consular matters to-
                Direct consular services      ward resolution.
                 were the central focus
                The camp went well beyond sim-     Ambassador Pradhan
            ply providing information. Its pri-  emphasizes an open-door
            mary purpose and most important              Consulate
            achievement was to bring actual con-  Ambassador Binaya Srikanta    sized the importance of approaching   tives undertaken under Ambassador
            sular services and direct assistance to   Pradhan, Consul General of India   the Consulate and authorized service   Pradhan’s leadership to bring the
            the community.                    in New York, addressed the gather-  providers directly  rather  than  rely-  Consulate closer to the Indian dias-
                CGI and VFS personnel assisted   ing and emphasized the Consulate’s   ing on questionable intermediaries.  pora through direct communication,
            attendees with matters involving Indi-  open-door approach and commit-  Also attending and actively par-  outreach, emergency accessibility, and
            an passports, Overseas Citizen of In-  ment  to  accessible  and  responsive   ticipating were Tsewang Gyaltson,   community-based services. Sikka not-
            dia (OCI) cards, visas, surrender cer-  services for the Indian diaspora.  Consul (Community Affairs), and   ed that the camp demonstrated what
            tificates, Police Clearance Certificates   He spoke about the Consulate’s   Shruti Pandey, Consul (CPV), along   can be accomplished when the Con-
            (PCC), document attestation, and   availability, including emergency con-  with  other  CGI  officials  and  VFS   sulate  and  community  organizations
            other consular services. Community   sular assistance seven days a week,   representatives. Altogether, 13 CGI   work together to bring actual services
            members were able to discuss their   and encouraged community mem-  and VFS officers and staff members   closer to the people.
            individual cases directly with knowl-  bers to approach the Consulate and   participated in the camp and worked   Harry S. Bolla, Patron of APS, em-
            edgeable personnel, clarify documen-  authorized service channels directly   directly with community members on   phasized the importance of arranging
            tation and procedural requirements,   whenever they need consular services,   their consular matters.  such camps on a continuing basis. He
            and  receive  assistance  in  addressing   assistance, or clarification.                              noted that passport, OCI, visa, PCC,
            and resolving their consular issues   Ambassador Pradhan also cau-   Community leaders praise the     and related procedures can be difficult
            wherever possible.                tioned against unauthorized brokers,          initiative            to navigate, particularly for senior citi-
                A total of 171 individuals regis-  agents, and intermediaries who may   Gary S. Sikka, Global President   zens and those unfamiliar with chang-
            tered, while 542 community members   charge excessive fees and, in some cas-  & CEO of APS, welcomed Ambas-  ing online systems. Bolla said that
            attended  the  camp.  A  total of  212   es, provide incorrect information or   sador Pradhan and the Consular   bringing knowledgeable CGI and VFS
            consular inquiries and service-related   fraudulent documentation. He empha-  team and praised the special initia-  Continued on next page... >>

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