Indian High Commission’s Consular Camp in Bristol, organised by Mayor Tom Aditya, was a grand success
Bristol, 8 February 2020:
The Indian High Commission’s (HCI) Consular Camp, held on Saturday, 8th February 2020 at Jubilee Centre, Bradley Stoke, Bristol, was a resounding success. The event was organised by Mayor Tom Aditya as part of the Bristol Multi-Faith Forum’s (BMFF) Community Cohesion Campaign, in collaboration with the Indian High Commission (IHC), London and the Indian Community of the West of England (ICWE).
Hundreds of members of the Indian community and the wider public attended the day-long camp, which offered a wide range of consular services, including Indian visas, passports, Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) applications, and other essential assistance. The initiative also served as a valuable platform to promote community cohesion and social harmony among diverse groups across the West of England.
The Bristol Consular Camp, provided free of charge to applicants as part of BMFF’s community initiative, successfully processed 435 applications and addressed an additional 125 queries. A dedicated team of 15 officers, led by HCI Counsellor Mr Anil Nautiyal, worked extended hours to assist all those in attendance. Attendees widely praised the professionalism and friendliness of the HCI officers, with many remarking that the services at Bristol were more efficient and welcoming than visiting the High Commission in London.
BMFF expressed heartfelt thanks to the entire HCI team for their exceptional service and to the many volunteers who helped coordinate the event. Special appreciation goes to Advocate Tripti Megeri (BMFF Secretary), Mr Abishek Aditya, Mr Noychen Augustine, Mr Jayantibhai Rajguru, and Cllr Franklin for their generous support. Refreshments and secretarial assistance were kindly provided by BMFF volunteers.
The Indian diaspora, which represents less than 2% of the Greater Bristol area’s one million residents, is a vibrant and diverse community of around 20,000 people, speaking languages including Punjabi, Malayalam, Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, and Marathi. The camp reflected the unity and strength of this multicultural community, bringing together individuals from various faiths and cultural backgrounds.
BMFF extends its sincere gratitude to the Indian Community of the West of England (ICWE), Bristol Hindu Temple, Sikh Gurudwaras, Indian Christian Churches, Indian Muslim Community, Jain Community, Buddhist Community, and all other community groups for their invaluable support. BMFF also thanks media partners and friends who helped promote the event through various channels.
info@bristolmultifaithforum.org.uk
