In the situation of utter chaos and helplessness at the beginning of COVID 19 Pandemic, the National Council of Asian Indian Associations in the United States came forward to help the community with the help of their partner organisations across the US. Harish Kolasani, National President of the NCAIA is one of the most important forefront figures behind holding steady communication with the Indian embassy, forming the Indian Task Force for Covid-19 relief and then getting everything together to help with medical, healthcare, lodging and travel related support to International students, visiting parents, other visa holders from India and Indian American citizens in the US.
Under the leadership of Harish Kolasani and other members of the NCAIA, the Indian Task Force brought together close to seventy community organisations and the network was used to communicate problems and then speedily evaluate which organisation had the best solution and resources to resolve them. They’ve mobilised resources to ensure that tele-health, PPEs, groceries, medicines and lodging requirements of many Indian parents and students (visiting or studying in the US) were timely met. Not just that but hundreds of requests for emergency visas for Indian Americans with family emergencies in India were met through NCAIS’s guidance and support.
Commenting on the work done by the Indian Task Force, Harish Kolasani said, “It was definitely an emergency and we had to be responsible and sincere with the faith that the Indian Community had placed in our leadership. With the brilliant coordination between effective community organisations across the United States, we were able to successfully connect Indian Americans, thousands of students and visiting parents with the required healthcare professionals, healthcare services and lodging requirements.
The NCAIA and the NRI SEVA Foundation have launched the National India Hub as an initiative to make a support community centre for Indian Americans in every city of the United States. Presently, the National India Hub is engaged in sending medical supplies and healthcare equipment to India as the country battles with the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic. The National India Hub is in the process of sending $1.6 million worth of oxygen concentrators, ventilators and other required medical supplies to India.
