Mumbai: On June 30th, Thursday, members of the US consulate celebrated the 247th anniversary of American independence along with their Indian colleagues. From Anandibai Joshi’s schooling in Pennsylvania to Francis Marion Crawford’s studies in Sanskrit, Indo-American scholarly relations were lauded.
Instrumental renditions of the two national anthems kicked off the ceremony, commemorating the 75th year of the U.S. India relations. The Marines marched in with the Star-Spangled Banner and the consulate bid farewell to current US Consul General David J. Ranz with his wife Taly Lind.
Bilateral Mission
Addressing consulate members and their guests, David J. Ranz listed health, security, and education as the top priorities of this bilateral relationship. Elaborating on this bolstering of education, Consul General Ranz shed light on the embassy’s efforts.
“We resumed our large-scale student visa operations after the delta wave. Our priority was to make sure that Indian students who were accepted into US universities had the opportunity to apply for visas, all before their schools started,” he said.
David Ranz reminisced about his tenure in India, which was disrupted by the pandemic. “It was a difficult time to be in India, or rather anywhere in the world. However, I can say that the difficulties of the pandemic are already receding in my brain.”
The Years in India
The Consul General, who prepares for his expedition to Hawaii, shared an array of memories made in India. “I remember my experience with what India has to offer in terms of food, culture, and wildlife. Diplomats have to be temperamentally glass half full people.”
David Ranz enjoyed regular visits to the Bhandup Pumping Station in Mumbai for bird watching. “Knowing that I can see a wild leopard in Sanjay Gandhi National Park and witness thousands of flamingos in the middle of this city would take me back to Central Park in New York. It is good to know that one can get away from the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle.”
The Consul General Ranz also experimented with Madhur Jaffery’s cookbook before the expedition to India. “In a place like Mumbai where you have easy access to great Indian food in people’s homes and restaurants, you can get away with cooking on your own.”
Alliance and Democracy
Reiterating the goals of the countries, Chargé D’Affaires Patricia Lacina said, “The bilateral relations are certainly not limited to Washington and Delhi, they are for both countries in their entirety. Together we will pursue common goals of prosperity, security, and resilience.”
Addressing the shortcomings of the two democracies, she explained, “We in the United States learned that you cannot take any of your rights for granted and have to keep them protected. Having a perfect democracy is always an aspiration and the strength of a democracy is that it can always improve.”
