BY SONAM MIRPURI
ARTESIA, CA - Singing, dancing, bringing to life various aspects of Indian culture, and all in all being merry are some of the best ways to celebrate gaining freedom. The Federation of Indian American Association (FIA)did exactly that when hundreds came together at the Artesia Park here , August 13 to commemorate...
ARTESIA, CA - Singing, dancing, bringing to life various aspects of Indian culture, and all in all being merry are some of the best ways to celebrate gaining freedom. The Federation of Indian American Association (FIA)did exactly that when hundreds came together at the Artesia Park here , August 13 to commemorate...
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India’s Independence Day. Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell and his wife Kathy, Artesia’s Mayor Pro Tem Ali Sajjad Taj, and Council members Tony Lima and Sally Flowers were present. The main program for the evening began with the singing of the national anthems. First came the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ which was followed by the India national anthem, both of which were sang by Sampurna Dube, who also later in the evening sang India’s national song, Vande Mataram.
History is an essential aspect of our present as well as our future. Without yesterday, there is no today or tomorrow and giving thanks for what has happened previously is a significant part of celebrating the moment, said. Ishwar Deedewania, President of FIA,to the hundreds gathered at the grounds.
“We have to thank Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhagat Singh, other freedom fighters, as well as those individuals who lost their lives fighting for our freedom,” added Deedewania. At the end of his speech Deedewania took the opportunity to thank all of the individuals without whom the event would not have been possible.
“Thank you to everyone who helped put this event together. Happy Independence Day!,” said Deedewania.
Continuing the evening Jim McDonnell, Los Angeles County Sheriff, joined in the commemoration as he said a few words. He came to the stage with his wife, Kathy. “Congratulations and Happy Independence Day!We need to work together to continue to protect our communities,” said McDonnell.
Ali Sajjad Taj, introduced Council members Sally Flowers and Tony Lima. All three of them congratulated Deedewania on hosting the event. “Thank you for doing such a good job with this celebration,” said Taj.
Additionally, given the opportunity, Lima said “I am glad you all found Artesia to celebrate your festivities. Happy Independence Day and see you next year,” said Lima. Unfortunately, California Senator Tony Mendoza was not able to attend the event but was represented by Ursula who spoke briefly on his behalf thanking all for the support Mendoza has had from the India-American community. The huge gathering was then kept entertained throughout the evening with a cultural program. Various individuals came on stage to either perform a dance or sing a song. After a long wait the headlining singers of the evening made a appearance.
Bhawna Chawla and Rram Tasildar came on stage to sing a few Bollywood numbers. The night came to a close after the duo sang their only song together, the title song from the 1976 “Chalte Chalte.” The park was lined with an abundance of booths vending clothing, jewelry, religious items, and food among others, which kept the crowds busy.
HEALTH FAIR - USICARE, Anekant Community Center and Western Hypertension Forum put up a health fair earlier in the evening, which was a free Health Fair for the community. More than 150 people flocked to the booth for check- ups. Dr. Nitin Shah put the fair together. A large number of professionals and volunteers who worked tirelesslyto make it happen. Niranjan Bhatt and Pharmacist LalThakarar coordinated the onsite services. Niranjan who has been helping for so many years felt that the response this year was overwhelming. Attendees had their bone density assessed provided by Ray Khan of PCI College.
People went to consult with many available specialists including Cardiologists, Drs. Prakash Deedwania &BhoodevTrivedi; Internist, Dr. Rita Kumar; Oncologist, Dr. Vandana Agarwal; Obstetrician and Gynecologist,Dr. Hansa Patel and Fellows Dr. Gaurav Banka & Dr. Lorrie Prakash Banka, Dr. Anesh Patel and Dr. Priya Puttagunta. who all volunteered their time. They remained busy until 11 pm or so – way beyond closing time. The biggest rush was in blood work as people could get their cholesterol, sugar and hemoglobin checked , performed by Niranjan Bhatt and his team. Ten volunteers from Cerritos School of Nursing coordinated by Danny Gitierrez.There were 20 doctors and medical professionals on site to provide the free services and consultations. More than 25 volunteers helped realize this free mission. Dr. Prakash Deedwania, a cardiologist from Fresno not only travelled from Fresno to provide free services but also sponsored the blood tests. Mr. Subhash Desai and his wife volunteered their time and also helped with the forms that were needed for the health fair. This could only happen because of invaluable contribution of time of many volunteers including Arun Arya and Jessica Godinez. Kusan, Ms. Desai, Joyce and Lien helped with the Bone Marrow Drive while Chakrrapany of VYASA-LA provided Yoga therapy consultation.
History is an essential aspect of our present as well as our future. Without yesterday, there is no today or tomorrow and giving thanks for what has happened previously is a significant part of celebrating the moment, said. Ishwar Deedewania, President of FIA,to the hundreds gathered at the grounds.
“We have to thank Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhagat Singh, other freedom fighters, as well as those individuals who lost their lives fighting for our freedom,” added Deedewania. At the end of his speech Deedewania took the opportunity to thank all of the individuals without whom the event would not have been possible.
“Thank you to everyone who helped put this event together. Happy Independence Day!,” said Deedewania.
Continuing the evening Jim McDonnell, Los Angeles County Sheriff, joined in the commemoration as he said a few words. He came to the stage with his wife, Kathy. “Congratulations and Happy Independence Day!We need to work together to continue to protect our communities,” said McDonnell.
Ali Sajjad Taj, introduced Council members Sally Flowers and Tony Lima. All three of them congratulated Deedewania on hosting the event. “Thank you for doing such a good job with this celebration,” said Taj.
Additionally, given the opportunity, Lima said “I am glad you all found Artesia to celebrate your festivities. Happy Independence Day and see you next year,” said Lima. Unfortunately, California Senator Tony Mendoza was not able to attend the event but was represented by Ursula who spoke briefly on his behalf thanking all for the support Mendoza has had from the India-American community. The huge gathering was then kept entertained throughout the evening with a cultural program. Various individuals came on stage to either perform a dance or sing a song. After a long wait the headlining singers of the evening made a appearance.
Bhawna Chawla and Rram Tasildar came on stage to sing a few Bollywood numbers. The night came to a close after the duo sang their only song together, the title song from the 1976 “Chalte Chalte.” The park was lined with an abundance of booths vending clothing, jewelry, religious items, and food among others, which kept the crowds busy.
HEALTH FAIR - USICARE, Anekant Community Center and Western Hypertension Forum put up a health fair earlier in the evening, which was a free Health Fair for the community. More than 150 people flocked to the booth for check- ups. Dr. Nitin Shah put the fair together. A large number of professionals and volunteers who worked tirelesslyto make it happen. Niranjan Bhatt and Pharmacist LalThakarar coordinated the onsite services. Niranjan who has been helping for so many years felt that the response this year was overwhelming. Attendees had their bone density assessed provided by Ray Khan of PCI College.
People went to consult with many available specialists including Cardiologists, Drs. Prakash Deedwania &BhoodevTrivedi; Internist, Dr. Rita Kumar; Oncologist, Dr. Vandana Agarwal; Obstetrician and Gynecologist,Dr. Hansa Patel and Fellows Dr. Gaurav Banka & Dr. Lorrie Prakash Banka, Dr. Anesh Patel and Dr. Priya Puttagunta. who all volunteered their time. They remained busy until 11 pm or so – way beyond closing time. The biggest rush was in blood work as people could get their cholesterol, sugar and hemoglobin checked , performed by Niranjan Bhatt and his team. Ten volunteers from Cerritos School of Nursing coordinated by Danny Gitierrez.There were 20 doctors and medical professionals on site to provide the free services and consultations. More than 25 volunteers helped realize this free mission. Dr. Prakash Deedwania, a cardiologist from Fresno not only travelled from Fresno to provide free services but also sponsored the blood tests. Mr. Subhash Desai and his wife volunteered their time and also helped with the forms that were needed for the health fair. This could only happen because of invaluable contribution of time of many volunteers including Arun Arya and Jessica Godinez. Kusan, Ms. Desai, Joyce and Lien helped with the Bone Marrow Drive while Chakrrapany of VYASA-LA provided Yoga therapy consultation.
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