BOSTON–The Indian American Forum for Political Education-MA (IAFPE-MA), once a vibrant non-profit political education organization in Massachusetts, has become a joke under its current leadership.

In 2019, IAFPE-MA appointed Dr. Monie Malhotra, MD and Gope Gidwani as interim caretakers of the organization until February 2020, with a planned election of a new president and other office bearers of the organization.
The elections were finally held last year and Mr. Gidwani was elected president along with a new executive committee, including Ms. Malhotra.

Mr. Gidwani neither answered the phone call nor responded to the email from INDIA New England News. Ms. Malhotra also did not respond to INDIA New England News’ questions regarding the IAFPE-MA.
A review of the IAFPE-MA activities by INDIA New England News, however, sadly revealed the following:
Official IAFPE-MA Website
The IAFPE-MA, the official website of the organization, does not exist anymore. It takes to a GoDaddy page. Thus, all past archives, including the constitution of the IAFPE-MA have gone.
IAFPE Website
IAFPE-MA website content seems to have shifted to www.Iafpe.com.
- This website does not have IAFPE-MA archives, photos or the organization’s constitution and by-laws.
- The news items is still showing, calling for nominations.
- It does not list the names of all the office bearers and board of trustees of the organization. It names Mr. Gidwani as president and lists the following names as members of the executive committee without their titles in the organization: Ram Uphadya and his wife Usha Uphadya, Monie Melhotra, and Nareen Shah.
- Bios of the executive committee members are not published.
- The photos posted on the site do not appear to be the photos of the executive committee members.
The only activity on the IAFPE.com shows a call for summer internship program. A flyer was sent out earlier this for this signature internship program of the Forum, but it is not clear what happened with the call for nominations and who were selected.
The organization is also promoting an event on its new website for 2025: IAFPE-MA Celebrates International Women’s Day 2025; When: Date and time is TBD; Where: Location is TBD.