New York: The Kerala Center honored seven outstanding Indian American Keralites for their contributions in various fields at its 17th Annual Award banquet.
The seven honorees were Thomas Abraham (Political Involvement), Ram M. Cheerath (Public Service), Dr. George John (Applied Sciences), Dr. Krishna Kishore (Journalism), Shaji Kumar, MD (Medicine), Sunil Kumar (Entrepreneurship), and Dr. T.V. Paul (Arts and Letters).
India’s Deputy Permanent Representative at the Indian Mission to the UN, Manjeev Singh Puri, who was the chief guest at the function on November 14, said the forthcoming state visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would further strengthen US-India relations.
Puri said he was fascinated by the continued interest and involvement of the Indian community in the political process of India. He complimented Keralites for their contribution in political, economic and educational activities in Kerala.
Keynote speaker, Prof. T.V. Paul of McGill University, Montreal said India had the potential to rise to a global power status by peaceful means.
“India’s peaceful integration as a major power is possible through its active participation in the global economy as well as international institutions, where it can slowly acquire a leadership role,” he said.
Kerala Centre president Jose Chummar highlighted Kerala Center’s achievement in supporting 12 couples at group weddings for underprivileged communities in Uzhavoor, Kerala.
The program was conducted by Dr. Thomas Abraham, a trustee and board member of the Kerala Center who noted that in the last 16 years the Kerala Center has recognized over 100 outstanding achievers of the Kerala community.
Following are the seven honorees and their achievements:
Following are the seven honorees and their achievements: Thomas Abraham is the first elected official for the Indo-American Community, not only in Greater Houston Area but in the entire state of Texas.
Ram Cheerath has been an immigration attorney who has been providing information on US immigration as a weekly free service for the past six years in various TV shows including the Malayalam show on Asianet.
Dr. George John is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the City College of the City University of New York (CUNY).
Dr. Krishna Kishore is a widely recognized media professional with accomplishments in both broadcast and print journalism.
Dr. Shaji Kumar is Associate Professor of Medicine, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic and Consultant at the Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
Sunil Kumar is CEO of Advanced Software Systems (ASSYST), Inc, a CMMi level 3 global information technology services company based in Virginia.
Dr. T.V. Paul is James McGill Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science and Director of Center for International Peace and Security Studies at McGill University, Montreal.
Seven Indian American Keralites honored
