Camp In San Diego Draws Huge Response, Shows Community Need For Consular Services

By Rajshree Mudaliar

SAN DIEGO, CA – On March 23, the House of India hosted a Consular Camp in collaboration with the Indian consulate in San Francisco and the visa services company, VFS.

The event, dubbed ‘Consulate@yourdoorstep,’ was a resounding success, attracting approximately 300 members of the community. Although the camp officially opened at 9 AM, attendees began arriving nearly an hour prior. Interestingly, individuals from as far as Orange County, Temecula, El Centro, and other Southern California cities attended the camp, although it was primarily planned for the San Diego community.

House of India Co-Presidents Vijay Navani and Ajay Kumar officially welcomed the Consul General Dr. Srikar Reddy, to formally inaugurate the camp. In his address, The Consul General assured attendees that efforts were underway to streamline processes, aiming to make various services more accessible to everyone.

Throughout the day, over 180 visa applications were processed by officials while House of India volunteers did the pre-checks on documents and offered attendees complimentary photocopying and printing services.

The consulate also provided walk-in services to address queries from community members. It was heartening to see many senior citizens, some as old as 90 years, taking advantage of the camp to resolve their issues.

House of India recognized the importance of facilitating the camp, having understood the huge need within the community for the services. Encouraged by the camp’s success, the Consul General suggested the possibility of hosting similar camps every quarter in San Diego, given the sizable Indian community in the area.

The owner of Royal India Restaurant, Sam Kambo generously provided his banquet room as the venue for the camp.