BY KALYANI VASAN
CANOGA PARK, CA – The India Association of Los Angeles (IALA) celebrated India’s 70th Republic Day on Feb 9 at the Royal Delhi Palace venue here with an attendance of around 300 guests. The celebrations began with singing of the national anthems of the U.S and India. The guest of honor was the Consul General of India,
CANOGA PARK, CA – The India Association of Los Angeles (IALA) celebrated India’s 70th Republic Day on Feb 9 at the Royal Delhi Palace venue here with an attendance of around 300 guests. The celebrations began with singing of the national anthems of the U.S and India. The guest of honor was the Consul General of India,
San Francisco, Sanjay Panda, who in his address said, “Congratulations to IALA on its 19th celebration of this historic day. You may be out of India but India has never been out of you. It is not just the 70th Republic Day we are celebrating but, also the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi throughout this year. Let us pay our tributes to our constitutions. I quote from the preamble of India’s Constitution-it begins with ‘We the people of India…’it is very similar to that of the US. We have Fundamental Rights and the US has the Bill of Rights. Democracy has become a part of India’s DNA. The President of India stated on Republic Day that the Indian model of democracy rests on a tripod of democracy, diversity and development. We cannot choose one above the other, we have to have all three, only then will there be stability. Partnerships build human experiences and partnerships between nations build a better world, knitting together all, building a world that is a family. As we say in Sanskrit-Vasudeva Kutumbakam”
Recognitions and awards followed with the first being that of IALA founding members: Inder Singh and Kumar Jawa who were recognized for their vision. Inder Singh made a presentation in which he gave a brief history of the path to India’s freedom from British domination and also traced the history of Indian immigration to America and chronicled the struggles to get U.S citizenship. This was followed by recognizing the path to political representation by Indian Americans starting with pioneer Dalip Singh Saund and to current day political heavy weights such as Bobby Jindal and Nikki Haley.
Vineet Puri, IALA chairman gave the welcome address and stressed India’s values which we need to preserve and practice. He said we are fortunate to have two motherlands and should be proud of IALA which represents 60,000 Indian Americans in the San Fernando Valley. All IALA board members and executive members were recognized.
IALA President Sunil Agrawal personally recognized committee members and commended the countless hours of work put in by all volunteers to bring this event together. He went on to say that IALA will be introducing and organizing two new events this year: a family picnic and the celebration of the American Independence Day on July 4. The evening was graced by the presence of representatives from local political offices. John Lee who is running for City Council District 12 was introduced as a strong supporter of IALA and the community. Lee said that he looks forward to attend all the events of the Indian American community in the San Fernando Valley. Scott Abrams from Congressman Brad Sherman’s office promised help to any members of the Indian American community and was glad to have been coming to this event for nearly a decade. Nicholas Gaines from California Senator Henry Stern’s office also expressed thankfulness for IALA being a wonderful host in keeping with the Sanskrit saying, “Athithee Devobhavam” which drew appreciation from the audience. He also went on to say that Senator Stern would love to participate in IALA’s summer celebration of India’s Independence Day.. Raman Chaddha served as the lively master of ceremonies for the evening.
The most outstanding highlights of the celebrations as announced by Sunil Agrawal were the two hero awards. The first was a gift check for $1,500 to Ventura County Fire Division Chief John Spykerman for the valiant efforts of the Fire Department in combating the fires that recently plagued the region. The second was an award recognizing Pranav Desai as IALA’s Hero of the Year for his groundbreaking work in support of persons with disabilities. His non-profit organization, Voice of Specially Abled People (VoSAP), has 6,000 volunteers who work tirelessly in changing the attitude towards disabled persons. He worked closely with the Indian Government to bring about the Rights of People with Disabilities Act 2016. Fifteen raffle ticket winners won $50 gifts and gift cards. The food, the mood and congeniality brought the vibrant spirit of India to the San Fernando Valley.
Recognitions and awards followed with the first being that of IALA founding members: Inder Singh and Kumar Jawa who were recognized for their vision. Inder Singh made a presentation in which he gave a brief history of the path to India’s freedom from British domination and also traced the history of Indian immigration to America and chronicled the struggles to get U.S citizenship. This was followed by recognizing the path to political representation by Indian Americans starting with pioneer Dalip Singh Saund and to current day political heavy weights such as Bobby Jindal and Nikki Haley.
Vineet Puri, IALA chairman gave the welcome address and stressed India’s values which we need to preserve and practice. He said we are fortunate to have two motherlands and should be proud of IALA which represents 60,000 Indian Americans in the San Fernando Valley. All IALA board members and executive members were recognized.
IALA President Sunil Agrawal personally recognized committee members and commended the countless hours of work put in by all volunteers to bring this event together. He went on to say that IALA will be introducing and organizing two new events this year: a family picnic and the celebration of the American Independence Day on July 4. The evening was graced by the presence of representatives from local political offices. John Lee who is running for City Council District 12 was introduced as a strong supporter of IALA and the community. Lee said that he looks forward to attend all the events of the Indian American community in the San Fernando Valley. Scott Abrams from Congressman Brad Sherman’s office promised help to any members of the Indian American community and was glad to have been coming to this event for nearly a decade. Nicholas Gaines from California Senator Henry Stern’s office also expressed thankfulness for IALA being a wonderful host in keeping with the Sanskrit saying, “Athithee Devobhavam” which drew appreciation from the audience. He also went on to say that Senator Stern would love to participate in IALA’s summer celebration of India’s Independence Day.. Raman Chaddha served as the lively master of ceremonies for the evening.
The most outstanding highlights of the celebrations as announced by Sunil Agrawal were the two hero awards. The first was a gift check for $1,500 to Ventura County Fire Division Chief John Spykerman for the valiant efforts of the Fire Department in combating the fires that recently plagued the region. The second was an award recognizing Pranav Desai as IALA’s Hero of the Year for his groundbreaking work in support of persons with disabilities. His non-profit organization, Voice of Specially Abled People (VoSAP), has 6,000 volunteers who work tirelessly in changing the attitude towards disabled persons. He worked closely with the Indian Government to bring about the Rights of People with Disabilities Act 2016. Fifteen raffle ticket winners won $50 gifts and gift cards. The food, the mood and congeniality brought the vibrant spirit of India to the San Fernando Valley.