In 2001, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee asked Bhishma Agnihotri to serve as the nation’s first Ambassador-at-Large for the Indian diaspora. Agnihotri, a non-resident Indian (NRI), had been serving as the chancellor of Southern University’s Law Center, but he readily agreed to accept the position. Although he faced opposition in India to his appointment as ambassador, he was officially appointed in 2001 and moved from Baton Rouge, Louisiana to New York just days after the September 11th terrorist attacks. His mandate from Prime Minister Vajpayee was simple. He was charged with strengthening the relationship between the nation of India and the Indian diaspora and, at the same time, with helping to elevate India’s position in the world. Agnihotri travelled the world and met with NRIs and people of Indian origin (PIO). He worked with NRIs and PIOs from all backgrounds, genders, and religions in an attempt to strengthen their ties to their mother country. This book highlights Dr. Agnihotri’s accomplishments as Ambassador-at-Large. It also touches on his journey from India to America to pursue higher education, becoming a chancellor of a law center, volunteering his time to many organisations, and moving on to the worthy task of Bridging Global Indian Diaspora. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Contents Preface—Pgs.9 1. Harnessing Soft Power—Pgs.15 2. MEA ‘Well-Wishers’ Unhappy—Pgs.19 3. Negative Role of Indian Media and Others on My Appointment—Pgs.21 4. An RSS-Connected Ambassador—Pgs.25 5. Educational and Professional Background—Pgs.34 6. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—Southern University Law Center— Israel Peace Medal—Pgs.53 7. Serving Diaspora Organisations—H.S.S. – AAPI – VEDIC Cultural Society—World Fellowship of Religions—ISKCON—Pgs.59 8. Moving to New York as Ambassador-at-Large After 9/11—Pgs.65 9. Goals and Activities as NRI Ambassador—Pgs.68 10. Volunteer Groups, Workshops and Group Meetings in Different Cities—Pgs.90 11. Visit to the other Countries and Interactions with the Diaspora and the Concerned Officials —Pgs.106 12. PM’s Programme in New York Presenting United Diaspora—Pgs.120 13. Memorable Events Having Historical Impact—Pgs.129 14. BJP Lost the Election—Pgs.142 15. Some Interesting Personal Memories of Atal Ji—Pgs.144 Endnotes—Pgs.146 Appendix-I—Workshops, etc. —Pgs.161 Appendix-II—AAPI, etc. —Pgs.331 Appendix-III—ISKCON, etc. —Pgs. 337 Appendix-IV—Vancouver Sikh Community, etc. —Pgs.343 THE AUTHOR