3 NRIs honored by NY Assembly

From Left - Rajiv Khanna, President of the India-America Chamber of Commerce, Rajiv Garg, CEO of Wyckoff Hospital, and President of Rajasthan Association of North America, (RANA),Assemblywoman Ellen Young and Dilip Chauhan, Computer Consulting Businessman and Community Leader.

New York State Assemblywoman Ellen Young honored three top Indian community leaders, Rajiv Garg, Rajiv Khanna, and Dilip Chauhan for their commitment and dedication for the betterment of our society during a solemn ceremony last month.

Ellen Young presented personally signed Assembly citations to the three leaders at her office in Flushing, NY. Assemblywoman Young stated, “I am thrilled to honor these gentlemen who have done tremendous work for our community.” She also recalled the terrorist attack in Mumbai last month and expressed grief and sympathy to those who were killed.

Rajiv Khanna, President of the India-America Chamber of Commerce said, “I am honored by the award. India and the United States, the world’s largest democracy and the world’s oldest democracy must work more closely and ensure that the Indo-US ties must be the growth engine for future generations and prosperity.” He is also the president of the US India Business Council.

The other recipient of the citation, Rajiv Garg is currently President of both the Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA) and Wyckoff hospital.

Garg’s hope is to bring all Rajasthanis on a single platform to preserve its culture and heritage to instill the Rajasthani values in the younger generation. He is a very humble person who is always ready to help the community whenever an occasion has arisen.

Dilip Chauhan, is a computer consulting businessman and has been working tirelessly for the past 15 years in the fields of anti-addiction, AIDS awareness and social service. He has helped the community raise funds for local schools and victims of the tsunami in Southeast Asia. In addition to his philanthropic efforts, Chauhan also represents the Indian community during the New York City walkathon for prevention awareness of AIDS.

Chauhan introduced Assemblywoman Young as a trailblazer for the Asian American community. Assemblywoman Young of the 22nd Assembly District originally came from Taiwan 25 years ago and has made a fortifiable name for herself in the political landscape of New York through her many years serving as a human rights activist. She rewrote New York State history when she was elected in 2006 as the first Asian-American woman to serve in the legislature. Over the past three decades, she has fought passionately for human rights and racial harmony in New York City. She is also committed to improving the quality of life and education for her constituents by working to secure more after-school programs, decreasing classroom sizes, hiring better teachers, providing more affordable housing, improving access to health care and bettering the quality of life for senior citizens.

By Hema Fernando