Prominent Indian-American physician, activist and philanthropist Dr Sudhir Parikh has been selected to receive the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman for 2006, the highest civilian honour bestowed by India on non-resident Indians.
President A P J Abdul Kalam will present the award to Parikh on the occasion of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Hyderabad. In the last three years since its inception, India has given the award to several eminent people of Indian origin, including UN Under Secretary General Shashi Tharoor.
Dr Parikh, who was bestowed the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honour earlier this year for his lifetime of community service, currently heads the Federation of Indian Associations, the umbrella organisation of Indian organisations in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
"I'm honoured to be selected for this award that seeks to honour people of Indian origin who have made a difference to global well-being. I want to dedicate it to the thousands of Indians living outside their homeland whose efforts have reiterated time and again that they are the best," said Dr Parikh.
A long-time votary of strong Indo-US relations, the doctor received international acclaim in the treatment of allergy, asthma, and immunology. He is also the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the biggest award for an immigrant in the United States.
From the US, Dr Parikh has worked closely with the powers in Washington and New Delhi to initiate a productive dialogue between two of the world's largest democracies.
One of his noteworthy diplomatic triumphs involved the successful stalling of the delivery of F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan on the grounds that these arms sales would heighten tensions amongst the two nuclear neighbors at a time when a thaw was being seen in the relationship.
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