Community Conventions A Big Draw Across US

Come summer and it is that time of the year when the Indian community across the country gears up for its yearly ritual of organizing conventions to celebrate the rich and vibrant culture and heritage of the region they belong to.

Chief guests, KPS members and dignitaries on stage during the inauguration.

Huge venue filled to the brim with attendees from all walks of life, exuberant cultural programs, dazzling performances by the second generation, inspiring speeches, give back to India initiatives, matchmaking sessions, panel discussions on pertinent topics, taste of regional cuisine – the list runs long. But the success of events each year propels the community to get on with the preparations for the bigger, better event following year.

Young event coordinators of the Kadva Patidar Samaj Convention - Tina Patel,
Neha Patel, Narendra Patel and Vijay Patel.

With an aim to preserve and promote Rajasthani culture, values, heritage and traditions, the Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA) organized ‘Rajasthan International Convention 2010’ at Hilton Melville, Melville, New York, from July 2- July 5.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was the chief guest at the event while Valayar Ravi, Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs was the guest of honor. The delegation from Rajasthan included Shanti Kumar Dhariwal, Minister of State (UDH); Rajendra Pareek, Minister of State for Industries; Beena Kak, Minister of State for Tourism; Mahipal Maderna, MoS, Water Resources; and Aimaduddin Ahmad, MoS, Medical and Health Education. Among other prominent community members who attended the meet included cardiologist Dr. Jagat Narula, mathematician Dr. Ghasiram Verma and CEO of a vaccine company, Dr. Rahul Singhvi.

KPS Convention attendees sing American national anthem
before the start of the day's proceedings.

Suresh Wadkar and Kavita Krishnamoorthy
upped the entertainment quotient.

The three-day event will throw many a surprises, including a performance by Krishna Beura on July 2. The next day highlights included a traditional ‘Rajasthani Attire Day’ and an exclusive display of Rajasthani apparels, handicrafts, jewelry, carpets etc. during an exhibition. This was followed by a memorable performance by a world-renowned team of Rajasthani Langa Sufi artists and Kalbelia dancers.

Cultural programs saw enthusiastic participation.

On July 4, seminars focusing on business were followed by an enthralling night with ‘LAMHE,’ a group of artistes including wellknown singers Suresh Wadekar, Kavita Krishnamurthy and Sanchita.

The meet paved the way for a greater understanding between the state government and the Rajasthanis living abroad.

In one of the biggest Tamil Conventions ever hosted by South Asian Tamils of North America in the history of Connecticut, the Federation of Tamil Sangams (Associations) of North America (FeTNA) organized its Convention at Palace Theater, Waterbury, from July 3-5.

The weekend bristled with activities full of glamour, grandeur and color attended by nearly 2000 Tamils.

The colors of Rajasthan came alive on stage.

On July 3, the event started with welcoming the chief guests with special music, children’s procession, followed by variety performances.

Chief Guests who graced the occasion included famous Tamil film director Bharathi Raja, actors Vikram, Priyamani, Lakshmi Roy, Santhanam, Srinath, Tamil Poet Thamarai, Tamil professor Parveen Sultana and Tamil spiritual leader Marudhachala Adigalar. Michael J. Jarijura, Mayor of Waterbury, also graced the occasion.

RANA committee members welcome Rajasthan
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot at airport.

While Prof. Sultana, Thamarai and Bharathiraja delivered some excellent speeches, Vikram took questions from the audience. Comedian Santhanam was as usual hilarious during his speech.

Vikram joined Suchithra Karthik as she sang a popular number.

On July 4, a special Tamil folk opera called Madhurai Veeran (the hero of Madurai) or “Therukoothu” was organized. This was a street play like a village theater, which is an ancient art form with simple props and informal interaction with the audience that made it very entertaining. The artists came from Chennai.

In the evening, there was a light music program with songs from Tamil movies. Famous singers Harish Raghavendra, Suchithra Karthik sang the popular numbers while Vikram himself joined and sang with them.

FeTNA also honored top 10 Tamil entrepreneurs from around the US. There were other performances by US-based Tamil Chapters. There were also breakout sessions like Continuing Medical Education (CME), Entrepreneur forum, Singles’ Forum, Young Tamils Forum, Tamil Bloggers’ meet, etc.

Dr. Pazhani Sundaram of Connecticut was the Coordinator of the Convention. The President of FeTNA, Dr. Muthuvel Chelliah, from Columbia, MD joined hands with Dr. Sundaram and provided enormous support and guidance. Hundreds of volunteers worked tirelessly to make this event a huge success. FeTNA, an umbrella organization for nearly 35-40 state-level organizations, presents this event each year in a different state and city where Tamils of North America congregate, celebrate their culture, recognize community achievements and organize professional forums, among other programs.

A still from special Tamil folk opera called
Madhurai Veeran performed on stage at
FETNA Convention.

The 14th National Biennial Convention of the Federation of Kerala Associations in North America (FOKANA) was held at the Empire State Plaza and Convention Center in Albany, N.Y. over the July 4 weekend. More than 1,400 Malayalees from across the U.S. and Canada attended the event. The three-day event included cultural shows, a beauty pageant, literary seminars and special pro- grams for youth and children. Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi inaugurated the convention, July 3. Other ministers who attended the event were State Health Minister P .K. Sreemadhi, K.P.Dhanapalan, P . J. Kurian and Anto Antony.

The convention also gave an opportunity for more than 300 Malayalee youth to enjoy an evening of music, food and entertainment. The event also included a special section focusing on Information technology. The discussions and seminars focused on the latest trends and improvements in the field, the website said.

Awards were given to members of the community for their contributions in various fields including journalism, media, social service and business.

The recipients of the 2010 FOKANA Awards are: Samuel Easo, Dr. Krishna Kishore, Jose Thayil, Jacob Roy, Jose Kaniyali, Koshy Thomas, Thomas Mathew, Rev. Jobson Kottapuram, Suku Nair, Donald Nixon, Dr. Padmanabhan P. Nair, T .V. Parasuram and Alex Thomas.

Fokana is an umbrella organization of Malayalee associations in North America and Canada. Since its inception in 1983, Fokana has received global recognition. It seeks to preserve the North American Malayalee integrity and promotes the Kerala Cultural identity, the website said.

More than 2200 Kadva Patidar Patels gathered at the spacious Odeum Expo Center, Villa Park, Illinois on July 24-25 for the 7th National Convention of Kadva Patidar Samaj focused on the theme ‘Bringing Community Together.’ And true to its theme, the gathering had attendees from all over the US, Canada and India who participated with gusto in two days of festivities organized by the dynamic team of the youngest president of the 23-year-old organization, Jatin Patel, 38.

Inspirational speeches by prominent community leaders, panels, exciting matchmaking sessions, electric dance and fashion shows, pulsating garba events and traditional food kept the attendees busy throughout the convention which began traditionally with lighting of divas by the grand sponsors, Mithabhai and Jayantbhai Patel.

Jatin Patel urged the attendees to follow the principles of love, unity, honey, hard work and dedication while Convener and Trustee Dr. V.K. Patel spoke about respecting one’s roots. “India is a democratic country with 60 per cent of the population in villages,” he said urging everyone to support the villages and asked the youth to inculcate discipline and ethics in their lives, as these are the keys to success.

Chief guest Chhotalal A Patel in his speech highlighted prominent issues the community faces including the role of women in society, the next generation, local community, the responsibility of young parents, respecting elders, and appreciation to the men and women in uniform and fallen heroes. The Masters of Ceremonies, Tina Patel of Georgia and Neha Patel of California, captivated audiences with their friendliness and contagious enthusiasm throughout the convention. C.K Patel of the Asian American Hotel Association spoke of the “shakti” or the courage of the community and emphasized that world peace starts at home. Member of Parliament Jayshreeben K. Patel elaborated on the journey of the Gujarat State and the golden jubilee celebrations this year.

Organizers honored local Indian hero, Atmarambhai V. Patel, 85, who is originally from Mehsana, Gujarat but has been in Chicago since 1999. He worked alongside Mahatma Gandhi for Indian Independence from British rule in the 1940s. In his brief but inspiration address he spoke about how far Indians have come since their Independence in 1947 and how proud the community should be on their many achievements at home and abroad.

The afternoon session started with panel discussion on prem, puja, paropkar, purusharth and pramanikta. There were also other programs for adults on topics such as health, yoga and fitness. Children had special session on Science tricks and experiments. A thought provoking panel discussion on “Bridging the Gap” was among the highlights of the event. Participants ranged from the ages of 12-65 and brought up questions such as why is body image so pertinent to us, why is it not possible for adults to fathom that their children can be modern but have traditional values, why are youth pushed towards medicine, pharmacy, law, and engineering and other important issues as well.

Community awards were given to CK Patel, VK Patel and Babu Patel.

[ By Ritu Pandeuy ]