SF Consulate Hosts First Consular Camp In Hawaii

India-West Staff Reporter

HONOLULU, HI –The Consulate General of India in San Francisco, in collaboration with VFS Global, held its inaugural “Consular Camp” on January 18. The event, organized in partnership with the Indian-American Friendship Council (IAFC) Hawaii Chapter and the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple, aimed to provide essential consular services to the Indian community in the state.

Dr. K. Srikar Reddy, Consul General of India, was given a tour of the temple where the camp was held, by temple official Sundarnanda Das. He encouraged attendees to contact the consulate or VFS staff in San Francisco for assistance with a variety of services, including passport applications, visas and OCI cards. The consular camp saw a large turnout from the Indian community, offering an opportunity for residents to access key consular services closer to home.

The event’s activities were coordinated by the IAFC Hawaii Chapter, with contributions from its President Dr. Raj Kumar and members Lynellus J. Boyd (Vice-President), Debbie Young, Ravi Shivaraman, Prof. Marc Jason Gilbert, Shanti Bott, Mark Sammon, and Pradeep Arora from the Gandhi International Institute for Peace (GIIP).

The consul general also visited a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Waikiki, where he paid tribute to the leader by draping a Hawaiian lei and offering flowers.

His visit also included meetings with Hawaii’s Governor Josh Green and State Senator Mike Gabbard at the State Capitol.