California Senate honours Consul General Parthasarathi

As part of cultivating relationship with India and the Indian Diaspora, California Senate majority leader Ellen M Corbett (San Leandro Democrat) on April 23 honored N Parthasarathi, India's consul general in San Francisco, on the floor of the senate in the state Capitol.

This was Parthasarathi's first visit to the state Senate since being appointed to his post last October. This was the first time that an Indian consul general was thus honored in the state senate.

"India and California have many economic ties and many mutual interests," Corbett said. "I am happy to work with Ambassador Parthasarathi to strengthen this important, growing relationship between California and India," he added.

Parthasarathi joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1981 and has served in countries across the world, including South Korea and Senegal, as ambassador. The consul general, a mechanical engineer by training, has also written novels.

Senator Corbett, whose district has a large number of Indian Americans, had highlighted India's Republic Day in the senate earlier this year.

Andrew LaMar, director, communications at Senator Corbett's office, said,"Senator Corbett feels there is a lot of connection between California and India and a lot of ties between these two places. So, he obviously feels that there should be strong and important relationship and is interested in strengthening the relationship in any way possible."