GOPIO-OC Chapter Relaunched

India-West Staff Reporter

TUSTIN, CA – GOPIO International officially relaunched its Orange County chapter in Southern California at  a well-attended event that drew over 50  guests on November 16 at India Gate Restaurant, here.

The gathering was hosted by incoming chapter chairman Amrit Bhandari,  president Hark Vasa, and the GOPIO Orange County Executive Committee. Organizers said the relaunch reflects renewed enthusiasm to strengthen the group’s presence and community work in the region.

The program focused on three goals: explaining GOPIO’s mission, introducing the new executive team, and encouraging attendees to become members to support the chapter’s projects.

Three senior leaders of GOPIO International addressed the audience. They included Prakash Shah, President, Kewal Kanda, Vice President, and J Nami Kaur, Global Ambassador and Chair of the GOPIO Foundation.

Bhandari opened the evening with welcoming remarks, followed by Vasa’s introduction of the new committee and its long record of community service in Southern California.

Kaur, who began volunteering for GOPIO when it was founded in 1989, outlined the group’s origins, milestones, and global mission. She described its early efforts to highlight discrimination faced by people of Indian origin in the US.  

Keynote speaker Prakash Shah recounted GOPIO’s founding at the First Global Convention in New York by its original team, including Dr Thomas Abraham, now chairman of GOPIO International. He noted that the organization is recognized as an NGO by the United Nations and today has more than  active 55 chapters in over 40 countries.

The event concluded with Bhandari naming Kaur as Honorary Chair of GOPIO OC for her leadership in reinvigorating the chapter.