100 Influential Indians in the World 100 Influential ...

100 Influential Indians in the World

2 Dr. Sudhir M. Parikh

De-Stressing

The

Distressed

100 Influential Indians in the World

Benevolently

Devoutly engaged in relieving the humanity from various pains and predicaments, Dr. Sudhir M. Parikh, the USA's most renowned practising Consulting Allergist and President of the Federation of Indian Associates (FIA) in the USA, has appreciably developed a wide network of medical enterprise in the country. His broad spectrum of community services inspired by his patriotic aspirations has won him great applause and admiration across the globe.

he enterprising feats of a man

Thinge on the way he makes use of his talent while struggling to attend certain goal in life. If he uses it with an aim to heal the humanity in distress, he can relieve the sufferers from pains and predicaments, thereby helping to raise the quality of life for mankind and making it worth-living. When the history of India's diasporic community is studied in this context, there appears a heroic personality, widely known as Dr. Sudhir M. Parikh, a practising Consulting Allergist and President of FIA in the USA, whose creative genius has made historic contribution in the world of medicines in the US.

Listed in the Who's Who in America in the field of medicine, Dr. Parikh is the leading specialist in allergy, asthma and immunology. He has been a member of the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology and serving as Consulting Allergist at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and other teaching hospitals

through New Jersey. Besides being a genius medical professional, Dr. Parikh is also well known for his magnanimity and philanthropic work. As a leading donor to humanitarian causes, he is the only doctor in the US with multifarious activities that encourages his compatriots to join national politics and educate themselves politically with the objective of coming to the political mainstream and making a niche in the power corridors of America.

Having his roots in a reputed middles class family, Parikh was born in December 1946 in Petlad a small town in central Gujarat (India). His father, Mr. Manhar Parikh was an officer in the government service while mother, Mrs. Prabha Parikh a homemaker, has the credit of raising all their five children, including three daughters, in such a manner that helped them study the tough streams like medicine and engineering etc. Dr. Parikh's brother is a civil engineer; the rest of the siblings and their spouses are

Parikh with his wife Sudha after receiving Pravasi Bhartiya Award

3

100 Influential Indians in the World

. Today, Parikh and his team of physicians attend over 1,000 patients a day at his 28 clinics which are equipped with the latest apparatus to conduct specialised allergy and blood tests. With a workforce of over 200 medical and non-medical staff, Parikh's work focuses on

examining why a patient develops

complaints like allergies,

asthma, chronic sinus problems

and other immunological

ailments.

4

Parikh, Sudha and Ravi

doctors. Needless to say, Parikh's wife, Sudha, too, is a doctor and is now a renowned Anaesthesiologist in the United States. It is a pleasant coincidence that she was his classmate in medical college where they came closer to each other, finally to tie the nuptial knot and lead a life of mission, healing the humanity in distress.

With an ambition to do something noble and praiseworthy, Parikh grew up in his native state of Gujarat. He is always proud of his association with Nadiad, a town where he did his schooling. Right from his school days, Parikh showed his excellence in his studies and had penchant for a medical career. For higher education, Parikh had to go to Ahmedabad and then, to Bombay. After completion of his M.B.B.S. in India, Parikh pursued his post-graduation course and continued his residency in the prestigious St. Bartholomew Hospital in London, and then in New York Medical College. Thus, he became the country's top medical luminary in the field of Allergy & Immunology.

Parikh's journey from Gujarat to New Jersey America, and giving twist to his struggling days for prosperity in the country of immigration was not an overnight feat. Like many middle class young aspirants, he also had to weather the bitter facts of life, but he overcame the oddities and turned victorious with the help of his consistent hard work, intrinsic brilliance, undeterred courage and vision. Parikh recalls, "There was a time, when I used to work almost 60-65 hours a week, seven days a week for a meagre stipend of $7,000 a year, and did a bit of moonlighting to make some extra money". He further says: "It was very hard. We were all qualified doctors, and every other night we were on call. We would work almost 24-hrs and then go back the next morning". All those were the struggling days for Parikh after he landed in America in the late 1970s.

Just after an incessant struggle for four years, he bought his own practice. Today, Parikh and his team of physicians attend over 1,000 patients a day at his 28 clinics which are equipped with the latest apparatus to conduct specialised allergy and blood tests. With a workforce of over 200 medical and non-medical staff, Parikh's work focuses on examining why a patient develops complaints like allergies, asthma, chronic sinus problems and other immunological ailments. As an eminent medical professional, Parikh has shown his excellence by serving the people with his extraordinary calibre, which is manifested glaringly in numerous prestigious positions, appointments and awards bestowed on him.

In 1980, Parikh was appointed as Clinical Assistant Professor at the NY Medical College. He is a Trustee of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI). From 1995 to 1996, he had been the Regional

Director of the Mid-Atlantic AAPI. The New Jersey

Governor, Christine Todd Whitman, appointed Dr. Parikh in

1995 as a member of the State Board of Medical Examiners

(a medical licensing board). It was the first time that such

honour was conferred on an Indian American physician in

New Jersey. In 1997, he was appointed a Member of the New

Jersey Task Force to formulate the Tele-medicine Licensing

by the State Board of Medical Examiners while in 1998, he

was honoured with an appointment, representing the IMG

section in the New Jersey Medical Society. In 1999, Parikh

received an award for Professional Achievement from the

Asian Heritage council in New Jersey for his valuable

contributions to the medical community.

Besides, Parikh was the recipient of the most

distinguished services to AAPI award during the 19th

Annual convention in Washington, D.C. In 2000, he received

the Presidential Award of AAPI for his contributions to this

association of Indian physicians in America. While enjoying

such prestigious

appointments and

awards, Parikh has also

been the person to raise

huge amount of funds

for such causes. As a Co-

Chairman of AAPI

National Convention in

2000 in NYC, he raised

over $2,000,000 and

netted a profit of over

$700,000 to AAPI, and it

is worth-mentioning

that he raised the money

with his personal efforts

as well as credibility.

Parikh was the first

President of the AAPI

Federation of

NY/NJ/PA, which has

over 6,000 physicians of

Indian origin in the Tri-

State area. During his

Parikh with Three Medals

presidency, he made the

outfit quite dynamic by

catering to the professional needs of the membership. As a

member of the prestigious New Jersey Licensing Board for

Shabana Azami recognizes Dr. Sudhir Parikh for his philanthropy work in India

100 Influential Indians in the World

Aviation Minister, Vylar Ravi honors Dr. Sudhir Parikh for services to Indian American Community

physicians, he contributed significantly to protect the interests of Physicians in the State of New Jersey. He was a

prominent Board member helping the Pre-Medical deficit issue to be resolved in NJ for Indian American Physicians, and which resulted in numerous Foreign Medical Graduates getting their licenses in the State of New Jersey. As a member of AAPI-PAC, Dr. Parikh motivated the powerful Chairman Emeritus of the House International Relations Committee, Congressman Benjamin Gilman, the New York Republican and other members of the US Congress, including Frank Pallone, the Democrat of New Jersey, to address the issues affecting the Indian Physicians at various conventions. When we consider his medical services to India, we find that as a former President of B.J. Medical Alumni Association, he remained devoted helping the Alumni raise over $100,000 to ensure availability of better quality care in Ahmedabad. The Association is the largest Alumni Association of Indian Physicians in the US, which shows Indians' medical erudition in America. Besides being a Diplomat of the American Board of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, as also a Fellow of the American College of Allergy and Immunology, Parikh is currently a Clinical Associate Professor at UMDNJ-Rutgers Medical School and a member of the prestigious New Jersey Licensing Board of Physicians to have contributed significantly to protect the interests of physicians in the State of New Jersey. Parikh's greatness lies not only in his close links with the power corridors of America but also in his deep passion for the needy people and encouraging the Indian youths to strengthen their political standing in this country. He is giving

back to the community in different ways as he asserts with conviction, "I am a hard working professional, who believe in returning to my community, what I have received from it". Annually, he gives away as much as $80,000 for life enhancing charity work. Parikh and his wife, Sudha continued to be in media limelight for their huge contribution to the tune of $150,000 made towards building the Vraj Temple of the Pusti Margiya Vaishnava Samaj of North America. Parikh was named as a 'Grand Benefactor' to the Vaishnavante Temple in New Jersey, one of the largest temples in North America.

Dr. Parikh's commitment to his social obligations is an expression of his deep sense of spirituality, and which in all its manifestations is the prime mission of his life. He admits gratefully: "I started off from nowhere in the country many years ago and have done well for myself. Now is the time for me to give back to the society that has given me so much. I know that I have been successful in my career, and my life my parents and my relatives in India give me a good grounding in our Dharma and our way of life".

Inspired by his constructive vision, Parikh has played a significant role in the foundation of such organisations as the Indian American Republican Council (IARC) which he is serving successfully as its founding Vice Chairman since 2001, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) in which he has been appointed as the President, Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) (where he is serving as its President) and the Indian American Forum for Political Education (IAFPE). All these show his commitment to the society and its well being.

Though basically a medical professional, Dr. Parikh has had an in-depth understanding of the political milieu of America as also the prospects it offers to the Indians there. He considers it vitally important that the Indian Americans should come to the mainstream of political bailiwick in America. Thus, Parikh seeks to bolster the new generation of Indian Americans to strive for public service, setting their eyes all the way on the top position.

In order to empowering the Indian Americans politically, Parikh has made vital contributions to the development of the Indian American Forum for Political Education (IAFPE). As President of the IAFPE, Parikh is committed to bring to play several of his top political connections in Washington D.C. He also offers scholarships for students of this Forum and facilitates internships for the youths with the influential lawmakers of America.

Parikh was the first President of the AAPI Federation of NY/NJ/PA, which has over

6,000 physicians of Indian origin in the Tri-State area. During his presidency, he made the outfit quite dynamic by catering to the professional needs of the membership.

Parikh with Wife and Daughter

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100 Influential Indians in the World

Regarded as one of the most

honoured Indian Americans, Dr. Parikh is topping the honours with the 2010 Padma Shri conferred on him by the President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Patil. With this award, he has become the only Indian American to receive all three of the most prestigious awards The Ellis Island Medal of Honour, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman and the Padma Shri.

Whenever Parikh gets an opportunity to serve the people and the nation through an organisation, he does it quite willingly to the best of his capacity. Responding to an invitation, Parikh snapped up co-chairing of the American Association of Secular Indians (AASI), an organisation engaged in promoting the visit of Indian politicians to the US. In fact, it is the work of such organisations that has led to the development of trade and communications between the two countries. He has made substantial contributions both in terms of devoting his time and money to various political, cultural and religious organisations in the New York and New Jersey. Every year, he is found to be one of the main sponsors of the famed Indian Day Parade in the New York City.

Having cordial and close contacts with the American political leadership, Parikh has also close links with President Bill Clinton, India's former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee, US Congressmen and the Senators. His standing in the power corridors of the US may be guessed easily from the very fact that he chanced to accompany Clinton's entourage to India, and played a significant role in further strengthening the Indo-US bilateral relations while focusing on other important issues. Whether it concerns with promoting education in the backward tribal areas of India or lobbying the Washington's power elite for congressional approval of the historic Indo-US nuclear deal, Parikh keeps himself fully committed to such causes.

For his accomplishments in humanitarian causes in the US as well as India, Parikh has been honoured with the prestigious awards. Besides extending his support to rehabilitate the victims of natural disasters, he was one of the leading fundraisers for the Gujarat earthquake and Tsunami victims in India. He has played a key role in developing trauma centres in India which are capable of

Parikh with President (then) Dr. Kalam

6

handling response and emergency needs during such calamities. The Share and Care Foundation, a non-profit organisation helping the poorest of the poor in India, similar to the Salvation Army in the United States, honoured Dr. Parikh on four occasions as the 'Grand Sponsor of Charitable Events' during the past eighteen years.

During the period from 1995 to 2005, Parikh funded a scholarship which provides undergraduate studies in Indian communities in the US, through the Share and Care Foundation. The Nargis Dutt Foundation, a premier charitable foundation helping the cancer patients in India, has honoured him as the 'Grand Sponsor'. The Federation of Indian Associates (FIA) also honoured him as the 'Grand Sponsor' for his philanthropic work to preserve the Indian culture in the United States by sponsoring the India Day Parade. Besides, he was honoured by the National Federation of Indian Associates for his outstanding community services.

Regarded as one of the most honoured Indian Americans, Dr. Parikh is topping the honours with the 2010 Padma Shri conferred on him by the President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Patil. With this award, he has become the only Indian American to receive all three of the most prestigious awards The Ellis Island Medal of Honour, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman and the Padma Shri. He is

the recipient of the Ellis Island Medals of Honour 2005, the highest civilian honour an immigrant can receive in the United States of America for commitment to community and social service. With this award, Dr. Parikh joins the elite list, along with such distinguished personalities as Presidents George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton, as well as Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and Colin Powell, General Norman Schwarzkopf and boxing legend Muhammad Ali. The award is instituted by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO).

The U.S. Congress has

100 Influential Indians in the World

honoured the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman having been honoured to Dr. Parikh with a special mention in its congressional records. Congressmen Frank Pallone Jr. and Joe Crowley inserted a statement into the Congressional Record honouring Parikh, who migrated to the United States in the late 1970s. The statement said, "Dr. Parikh is an asset to the Indian American community, and his efforts are deserving of this great award. Sudhir fully embodies the commitment and values the NRI award

Parikh with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

presents." The New Jersey Republican Congressman Bob Frank presented him a special American Flag that was flown over Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. This honour was given to him in recognition of his contributions in the field of medicine and in particular working on a measure to protect Indian American Parikh receiving Padam Shree P h y s i c i a n s f r o m Award from Indian President deselection in the House

Smt. Pratibha Patil

Medicare-Managed care bill as well as his contributions to Politics and Community services. Dr. Parikh also received the National Excellence Award in recognition of his philanthropic and community activism, at the 6th annual meeting of the Indian American Friendship Council (IAFC) at Capitol Hill in June 2002. Parikh is very much committed to serve the hostland as a true American citizen. However, his love for his motherland has its own sanctity. When the negotiations of selling F-16 fighters to Pakistan were going on in America, he was one of the leading persons to raise voice against the proposed deal; he argued that in the event of the deal being materialised, there would start an arms race in the subcontinent with all its adverse ramifications. Though Parikh and his family members have become American and adopted its lifestyle, he has never allowed any sort of indecency to creep into his home in the name of socalled modernisation. He proudly claims: "Although my family and I live in the very American milieu, it's my Indian spiritual upbringing that has kept me, my wife and family together and steady and nurtured in us a sense of values, that,

I guess, helps us distinguish between good and evil". Thus, Parikh's way of leading life, which is based on the Indian values, provides a moral lesson to the Indian youths living in the west.

Parikh is blessed with two diligent children a daughter, Purvi, who is a medical graduate, and she is already doing her residency, and a son named Ravi, a freshman medical student, who also spends considerable time on focusing on his pet philanthropic, social and political causes. Parikh has always urged his children to adopt medical career, as he says, "I always tell my children you should be a doctor, not because there is money in medicine. People make more money in IT or business or being lawyer but medicine is a very noble profession because the respect you get, you do not get in any other profession". He feels happy that at least his daughter is pursuing medical course and is likely to follow in her parents' footsteps.

Parikh's wife has always been a pillar of strength to him as well as the family. She stood quite firmly supportive to him through thick and thin. She remains both an inspiration and compass of his life. Once or twice a year, the family goes on excursion tour, throughout the world. They are also fond of music, especially the Indian classical. They always host musical evenings. Recently, they hosted Pandit Jasraj in their basement auditorium. This shows Parikh's lighter side of life that keeps him energetic and joyful while dealing with the serious things of life.

Thus, Dr. Parikh with his landmarks in the realms of medical services has made himself a role model for the Indian youths in America, aspiring for empowerment in varying fields of life. He seeks to enlighten them about the vast possibilities that the US offers to them for their multidimensioned prosperity which is attainable with the help of their educational and political empowerment. Besides, his philanthropic commitments to humanity have earned him great eminence as a humanistic icon.

He has made substantial contributions both in terms of devoting his time and money to various political, cultural and religious organisations in the New York and New Jersey. Every year, he is found to be one of the main sponsors of the famed Indian Day Parade in the New York

City.

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