SoCal Student Group Puts Diplomacy, Public Service In Focus At Book Event With Lakshmi Puri

India-West News Desk

ORANGE, CA – Southern California high school students took center stage in a September 23 conversation with former United Nations Assistant Secretary-General Lakshmi Puri, using the gathering to explore diplomacy, advocacy, women’s rights and the role of young people in public service.

The program was organized by the Youth Civics Think Tank, a youth-led organization founded by Cerritos High School senior Eshan Patil. Aparna Hande was also a primary organizer and helped coordinate the program held at Tandoor restaurant, her.

Puri, who served as UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, spoke with Patil and Saivi Sodhi, a junior at Fairmont Preparatory Academy and a member of the YCTT team. Their conversation focused on how diplomacy and advocacy operate in practice, Puri’s work on women’s empowerment and her advice for students interested in public service.

Dr. K. J. Srinivasa, the inaugural Consul General of India in Los Angeles, attended the program as guest of honor and addressed the gathering. La Palma Mayor Nitesh Patel, an advisor to YCTT, also participated and honored Puri, while Artesia Councilmember Zeel Ahir was among the civic and community leaders in attendance.

In the fireside conversation with Puri, she discussed her novel ‘Swallowing the Sun,’ including its inspiration, themes, characters and exploration of women’s lives and social change. The book draws partly on the author’s family history, including the lives of her parents, whom she described as feminists ahead of their time.

The title comes from a verse by saint-poet Muktabai, whose imagery of seemingly impossible feats became, Puri said, a source for the novel’s underlying belief in human possibility. The book is headed for a multi-season web adaptation.

The event combined the youth-led civic discussion with the literary program along with recognition of Southern California based authors.

“A major part of our work is making civic institutions feel genuinely accessible to students who might not normally see themselves represented in these spaces,” Patil said. “Representation matters, but access matters just as much, and young people need real opportunities to participate and speak their minds.”

YCTT members including Omkar Siddeswaran and Aditya Komaragiri are all part of the group trying to advance the organization’s youth-led approach.