CHICAGO: There is hectic activity among Indian Americans in Chicago as they gear up to celebrate the 69th Indian Independence day with gusto and lot of enthusiasm. There would be huge and distinctly attractive programs chalked for Chicago, Naperville (South west suburb of Chicago) and Schaumburg (northwest suburb of Chicago) all organized by well knit Indian organizations.
The start will be with the Flag hoisting ceremony at Chicago Daley Plaza and the initiative by the Indian Consulate in uniting all groups of Indians to come together and have this event done on one platform has paid good dividend. Flag hoisting in the morning of August 15 by Indian Consul General Dr Ausaf Sayeed will be followed by the reading of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee’s message. The CG office will also host a banquet for Chicago elites at Union Club in Chicago downtown
The Federation of Indian Associations Chicago, one of the oldest organizations of Indian Americans, has been in the forefront celebrating the event for the past three decades or so and it has announced a culmination of the celebration with hosting a Grand Mela in Chicago India town near Devon Avenue
Set up in recent years, the Federation of Indian Associations Schaumburg is not lagging behind and it has chalked up highly entertaining program with Bollywood singer Bappi Lahiri and Kader Khan’s son as top attractions for their Banquet and their India Day Parade
Naperville Indians have been celebrating India Day over the past few years but this time they have the blessing of the local Council. They have decided to put up their program with higher number of attractive floats, cultural program showcasing Indian culture, classical dances and mixing that with booths and food stalls. By all account and with the weather God favoring the community, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the India Day celebrations will surpass many such previous celebrations.
Abdul Siddiqui, Arvind Patel & Dave Vasudevan
