Indian Consul Anil Matta Leaves for Mexico City

By Jawahar Malhotra

HOUSTON: It was an impromptu gathering of a few of the Trustees and the current Board members of the India Culture Center at Ashiana restaurant on the Westside this past Tuesday, November 5 to bid adios to the Consul Anil Matta of the Indian Consulate General. Matta leaves on November 14 to take up his new assignment as Director of the Indian Culture Center, which is a part of the Indian Embassy, in Mexico City.

Matta has been in Houston for three years to the day and has made many inroads in the Indian community here, ingraining himself in a way that few other previous Consuls have. After the present Consul General Parvathaneni Harish took over his post last year, Matta took over the task of rebuilding ties with the community that had been frayed over huge delays in visa processing and complaints of surly treatment by the staff at the previous processing center, Travisa.

Matta had also been a visible Indian official at many community events that Harish was unable to attend. But he had endeared himself with his friendliness and pleasant personality and assisted many a worried traveler with their visa concerns. He also made a point to hold gatherings, often over dinner at a local Indian restaurant, with key people of the community.

In appreciation of his outreach efforts, the ICC members felicitated him over dinner and President  P.V. Patel declared that the community was losing a true friend. They presented him with a bouquet, plaque and a glass encased white statue of Ganesh.

Matta had previously been posted to Havana, Cuba and his knowledge of Spanish held him in good stead to take on the post in Mexico City, which he will take on right away. He hopes to be joined there by his wife, Neeta, who is a vice-principal of a school in New Delhi and was never able to join him in Houston or even visit. He promised to stay in touch with the many friends he has made in the Bayou City.