CHICAGO: The spirit of patriotism was truly depicted at the 66th Independence Day celebration banquet on Saturday, August 18 and at the Grand Parade held on Sunday, August 19 hosted by Federation of Indian Association (New) Chicago.
The Banquet included a spectacular cultural program which took place at The Meadows Club, Rolling Meadows, a northwest Chicago suburb. Both events were meticulously planned and coordinated by former president Sunil Shah, President Onkar Sangha and his team of FIA office bearers.
Dignitaries included William Mcleod-Mayor, Village of Hoffman Estates, Ms. Mukta Tomar, Consul General of India in Chicago, Rodney Craig, Mayor of Hanover Park, Fred Crespo State Representative, Carole Pankau State Senator, John Lawson Schaumburg Township Assessor, Prachi Desai Bollywood Actress and Chief Guest and Congressman Joe Walsh.
One of the attractions was the presence of the young and vibrant Bollywood actress Prachi Desai from Mumbai, India. She was the Chief Guest at the Banquet and the Grand Marshall at the FIA Parade. Prachi Desai is a well known Indian film and television actress. She has starred in movies such as “Rock On” and “Bol Bachchan” and many popular TV serials.
Prachi Desai expressed gratitude for being made the Chief Guest at this gala event and she was thrilled to be representing her country which is the biggest democracy in the world. She shared her warm wishes with everyone in the audience.
The evening began with the social hour where guests freely mingled and socialized before the start of the program. Thakkar Basati invited FIA Board members and dignitaries upon the stage and acknowledged their gracious presence. The event commenced with lamp lighting amidst all the dignitaries on the stage, who were:
FIA Board-Founder President FIA Sunil Shah, Banquet Chairman Harinderpal Singh, Parade Chairman Dr. Imad Shaikh, President Onkar Singh Sangha, Exe.Vice President Rita Singh, Vice Presidents Jaswant Sangha, Mukesh Shah, Monty Syed, Sunny Kular, Dhitu Bhagwakar, Secretary- Shahid Razvi, Jt. Secretary-Bharti Desai, Jt.Treasurer- Azeem Uddin, Executive Director- Eraj Ahmed.
American National Anthem and Indian National Anthem were sung accompanied by a video presentation. President Onkar Sangha in his welcome speech thanked all the dignitaries present and described the role of Indian American community in the development of the US economy, business and politics.
Keynote Speaker-Consul General, Ms Mukta Tomar in her speech emphasized that India has come a long way in the world economy and overcome large obstacles. These obstacles have given us the opportunity to form partnerships and space for collaboration on a personal, professional and national level.
“Economies of several nations worldwide have seen a slow down over the past few years. By sharing our resources, increasing our relationships and alliances, we can all prosper”, she said. She recalled the speech made by Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh during his Independence Day address in New Delhi, where he spoke on two issues which affect any independent democratic nation -national security and economic growth. Singh had assured all Indian citizens that his Government would place utmost importance on these two issues for a better tomorrow.
Congressman Joe Walsh in his spirited speech recognized 400,000 Indian American owned businesses in the US which play a key part in the growth of the US economy. He stated that he will not be silent until the US invites Chief Minister Modi to visit the US and issue him a Diplomatic Visa.
Mayor William D. Mcleod, Rodney Craig and John Lawson and State Representatives Fred Crespo and Michelle Mussamen also gave short speeches and wished Indian People a very Happy Independence Day.
Master of Ceremony for both events was FIA treasurer and Cultural Program Coordinator, Bharti Desai. She is a renowned singer in the Chicago Metropolitan area.
Cultural program covered Vande Mataram and Garba; Yeh Chees Entertainment presented a Bolloywood dance; Hindi Lovers Club and Bombay Beats; Bollywood Dance. Mehjit Singh Vird a powerful singer danced on the stage as well as on the floor. Shreelekha Mohanty entertained the audience with her peppy numbers which rocked the stage. Pratibha Jayrat with her beautiful and melodious voice enthralled the audience. There was Bhangra and performances by Paramveer Kaur, Taranpreet Kaur, Jeevan Kaur, and John Paul Smith Jr.
Asian Media USA
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