Author: Asian Media USA

It was a ‘Big Fat Wedding’ September 30, 2022, when Iram Shareef, daughter of Indian-American businessman and community leader Iftekhar Shareef, tied the knot with Ubaid Jafer, at Shalimar Banquets in Chicago, Illinois.

Leading businessman Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi and late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, came all the way from India to attend.

Over 1000 people attended including businessmen, politicians, community elders. In addition to , Robert Vadra from Delhi, India a leading businessman, special guests included Congressman Raja Krishnamurthy. Robert Vadra presented a special congratulatory message to Iftekhar Shareef signed by Gandhis. Also attended by Dr Bharat Barai a respected community elder from Indiana and many important leaders.

Iftekhar Shareef has held many important local and state level positions and been recognized for his community leadership as well as his business acumen and philanthropy. He has been a political activist supporting many candidates for office both at state and national levels and been bestowed numerous community leadership awards.

According to his eponymous website, iftekharshareef.com, he  has been President and CEO of many small and mid-size companies including National Bankcard Corporation, a credit card processing company. Other banks he has worked with include Old Kent Bank Of Michigan, Bank Of America, North Carolina, Columbus Bank and Trust Company, Columbus, GA, First National Bank Of Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, Fifth Third Bank, Columbus,Ohio.

Apart from being the founder, chairman and managing director of National Bankcard Chicago, Shareef is founder, president and CEO of Secure Check USA; founder, president and CEO of Skincare Systems Inc.; NBC Credit Card Solutions Private Ltd in Hyderabad; founder, chairman and managing director of IGS Real Estate Developers. He also owns and operates multiple shopping complexes,  motels, and commercial real estate in Chicago and Hyderabad.

Chicago IL: The Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago (PCS) flagship annual event “Rangla Punjab” to celebrate (belated) Vaisakhi festival, was held on May 21, after an hiatus of couple of years due to the covid19 pandemic, at the Yellow Box Theater, Naperville, Illinois. This was the 28^th year of this event by PCS.

More than 800 attended. Nearly 200 children and adults from Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin performed Punjabi folk dances Bhangra and Giddha, played music, and socialized.

 Prominent Punjabi Singer and film artist Sarbjit Cheema with many smash hits like his evergreen song “Rangle Punjab Di Sifat Sunnava,” along with Miss Dolisha a rising star in Punjabi singing and their live orchestra from Canada electrified the audience to be dancing wherever they were, in their seats, on the floor all over the auditorium and made it a memorable evening. Everyone was ecstatic enjoying togetherness after covid19 lockdowns and social distancing.

Dr. Param P. Singh a cardiovascular physician from Moline Illinois, who won “The Young Investigator Award” from AACIO in 2010, was the chief guest.

“Rangla Punjab ” is the single largest annual Punjabi cultural event in the Chicago area that promotes the local community talent and showcases the Punjabi performing arts to a family audience since three decades.

Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago volunteers train and provides a platform to the local Punjabi artists to nurture and grow their talents. “Rangla Punjab” event helps Punjabi youth come closer to their heritage, Punjabi language, culture and community. This indeed is a great community building effort,” said Parvinder Singh Nanua, the P.C.S. President.

Rangla Punjab 2022 event was organized by the PCS Board with the help of dozens of youth coordinators and volunteers. PCS Vice president Bhupinder Singh Dhaliwal welcomed the attendees and started the evening program with the U.S. National anthem sung by Mini Singh, followed by singing of Sikh prayer hymns by the children of Wheaton and Palatine Gurdwaras.

The evening event was divided into two halves where the first half included 17 performances including Bhangra and Giddha Punjabi folk dances and music recitals by the local talent. Esha Kaur Singh played Punjabi tunes on Viola while Jaskaran Sangha played the Dhol.

Dance items were prepared by the efforts of Neha Sobti, Kiran Bhalla, Kiran Grewal, Gia Dhaliwal, Avneet Kaur Aujla, Jasleen Kaur, Navneet Kaur & Sonia Kohli, Kiran Grewal, Amandeep Kular, Mankirth Singh, Kiran Grewal & Rajbir Dhillon, Neetu Singh, Navtej Sohi & Gurshaan Sohi, Rajpreet Dhaliwal, Kawaljeet Kaur and Payal Virdi.

This part was emceed by the local youth who were encouraged to speak in Punjabi. The first half was divided into four segments which were emceed by Karan Gill & Gurneer Sidhu; Gurkiran Kaur, Mankirth Singh & Harnoor Singh; Gia Dhaliwal & Guru Dhaliwal; Simran Bhalla & Manpreet Bhalla.

Navtej Singh Sohi and Rajinder Singh Mago provided backstage support to the youth. Surinder Palia, Jasbir Palia, Manjeet Bhalla, Gurlal Bhattal, Iqbal Saini, Rajinder Singh Dyal, Thakar Singh Basati, Jaskaran Saini, Gurpreet Girn, Harleen Saini, Bikram Sahota along with several other volunteers helped with the costumes, turban tying, and bringing the young performers back stage for performance line-ups.

PCS President Parvinder Singh Nanua welcomed the audience, thanked the participants and the sponsors, and introduced the PCS Board of Directors, Advisors and Governors. Rajinder Singh Mago introduced the PCS Honorary Chairman Kevindeep Singh Atwal and Chief Guest Dr. Param P. Singh, who distributed awards to the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum sponsors.

“I am the third generation being part of PCS and Rangla Punjab,” said Kevindeep Singh Atwal the PCS Chairman. The outgoing PCS Presidents  Harwinder Paul Singh Lail (2019), Balwinder Singh Girn (2020) and PCS Chairman Gurdeep Singh Nandra (2019) were honored with plaques, by the Chief Guest, for their excellent services.

“After a couple of years of pause and loneliness caused by the covid19 pandemic, I am proud to say that P.C.S. is back with a bang tonight, I feel ecstatic,” said Gurdeep Singh Nandra, who was accompanied by his wife Rajneesh Nandra. Counsel Ranjit Singh of Indian Consulate in Chicago attended with his family and was also recognized.

“I congratulate Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago for their prolific achievements in promoting Punjabi Culture and Language, which is quite evident from the number of young children nearly 200 participating in the program tonight, and this is your 28^th year doing this,” said Counsel Ranjit Singh.

Kimi Mehta, Director South Asian Outreach Chicago Board of Election Commissioners spoke to encourage South Asian communities including Indians and to vote. The second half of the program was conducted by Navtej Singh Sohi and Vick Singh where the famous Punjabi Singer Dolisha and Sarbjit Cheema sang and danced to entertain the crowd involving the audience with them to constantly clap and dance creating a very happy and celebratory mood like a huge party. Hundreds of young and old danced to their heart’s content on every song they sang making it an unforgettable event.

Many parents congratulated and expressed their appreciation for PCS for continuing to provide opportunities, free coaching and a platform to keep their kids connected with our Punjabi culture. The event was organized by the PCS Officials, with the help and support of many item coordinators, volunteers, and community sponsors.

The security was handled by Mohinderjit Singh Saini, all the graphics design art work and Information Technology work was done by Gurpreet Sidhu, the stage sound systems and coordination by Jigerdeep Dhillon, Tickets and seating by Balwinder Girn and Gurpreet Girn, all financial matters by Bikram Sohi, Awards and the guest artists coordination by Vick Singh, food arrangements by Sukhmel Singh Atwal, Paul Lail , and Bhinder Pamma. Amarjit Kaur Atwal coordinated facilities for team practices, and over all supervision by President Parvinder Singh Nanua and Vice President Bhupinder Singh Dhaliwal.

Vidya Jyoti, a newly formed non-profit organization, held a glittering Inaugural Gala on Sunday, April 24, 2022, at Embassy Suites in Naperville, Illinois. The vision of Vidya Jyoti is that every child in India can realize her/his dreams and break the cycle of poverty by having easy access to quality education, The mission of Vidya Jyoti is to channel funds from generous and committed donors of North America to dedicated and bright students in India who are facing financial barriers in their educational journey.

Thanking the community for its love and support, Pratibha Jairath, Founding President of Vidya Jyoti, welcomed the 300 strong audience. The Gala attracted social and business leaders from around the Chicago area. The chief guest for the gala was the philanthropist Mr. Anil Loomba, CEO of Home Mortgage Solutions, inc.

“It is a dream come true,” said Pratibha in her welcome address. “It is gratifying to see so many others share this vision of raising funds to help underprivileged children in India.” Madhu Uppal, the Founding Vice-President, in her address reminded the audience of the Hindu belief of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam, to look at the world as one family and think of world’s children as our children.

Dr. Santosh Kumar, CEO of Metropolitan Asian Family, in her Keynote address spoke about her own journey and credited education for helping her reach her present position.  Mrs. Malti Loomba, retired Director of Schools in India, accompanied by her son Mr. Anil Loomba, performed the ribbon cutting ceremony and offered her blessings to this noble effort. She spoke about her own experiences as teacher, principal and, finally, director and noted the need for support for the many families with limited means. She also extended her willingness to help guide Vidya Jyoti’s work.

Among the dignitaries present were Dr. Gopal Lalmalani, Mayor, Village of Oak Brook, Judge Kavita Athanikar, Circuit Court Judge, Mrs. Shweta Baid, Alderwoman, City of Aurora, Mrs. Meghana Bansal, Trustee for Wheatland Township and Kevin Morrison, Cook County Commissioner. Each offered their congratulations and extended their best wishes for success to Vidya Jyoti.

Vidya Jyoti recognized the tremendous support of the many sponsors including Grand Sponsors Dr. Bhupinder Beri, Mr. Sanjiv Gulati, Mr. Vimal Jairath and Mr. Bill Lyon as well as Benefactors Mrs. Anita Beri, Dr. Inshu Belani, Mr. Ramesh Mehra, Mrs. Sarita Sood, Mr. Anil Sharma (of Toronto, Canada), Dr. Sarbjit Bhandal, Mrs. Pratibha Jairath and Mr. Brij Sharma. The evening also included introduction of all sponsors and the Board of Vidya Jyoti.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of plaques to 18 champions of education who have achieved great success in their profession and businesses. After receiving a bouquet of flowers from a family member, these awardees walked the red carpet to receive their plaques that recognized them for their Exceptional Leadership and Service for Education.

The evening also included a dance drama focusing on the theme of transformational power of education, thrilling Polish, Irish and Mexican dances in traditional costumes, and a mesmerizing Tabla Jugalbandi. The entertainment was topped off with a traditional Kathak dance. Another highlight was auction with MacDougall and other gowns, Aspen stay package and a lot more.

“The event exceeded every expectation that we had had,” remarked Pratibha. “Everything proceeded smoothly, for which I must thank our Board, all the volunteers as well as all the others whose work made it a very successful evening.”

Telugu Association of Greater Chicago (TAGC), the first Telugu organization in North America has celebrated this year Ugadi and Srirama Navami on April 16th,2022 at Hemmens Auditorium, Elgin. TAGC is devoted to the awareness and promotion of Telugu Heritage and Culture in the Midwest region headquartered in Chicago, the association was originally founded in 1971 and it recently completed its golden jubilee celebration and entered its 51st year.

Over seven hundred Indian origin members participated in this Ugadi event. Program started with prayer song by Singer Ramya and lighting the inauguration lamp by Smt.Uma Avadhuta President of TAGC 2022. Cultural Chair Prasanna Kandukuri and Co chairs Swetha Chinnari, Sireesha Rebbapragada and Shailja Bethi with all the board members were present on the stage. Anchor Lavanya Guduru came all the way from Atlanta to host the show. Unni Vitta also accompanied Lavanya to make the show more entertaining.

Cultural programs mesmerized the audience with the varieties and the digital projection made the programs livelier. More than 300 kids and Adults participated in the event. Few highlights of the programs were Ramayana, Hanuman Chalisa, Lazy dance by adults, Ugadi theme dances and Senior’s dance etc. Audience enjoyed each and every program with applauds. Cultural committee with the help of others Bod’s Archana Podduturi and Sirisha Madduri ran the program very smoothly. Swaralaya team of singers Ravi Thokala, Mani Thellapragada, Sowjanya and Archana entertained the crowd with their melodious voice and got new energy into the auditorium.

Youth Committee chair Prashanth thanked Youth volunteers and mentioned about their tireless volunteering who were present at the event from the beginning and till the end to help all the areas membership, cultural and food to finish on time.

Decoration was one of the highlights of the event. Star beam event planners decorated the hall and the Lobby with photo booth portraying Ramanavami. Decoration chair Neelima Cheikycharla did a wonderful job in planning the decoration. Membership desk was managed and run smoothly by membership chair Madhavi Konakalla, treasurer Santosh Konduri and Jt. treasurer Sridhar Alavala. Other Board members Siva Desu, Shashi Chava, Srikanth Bethi also helped the team.

Food committee Chair Srinivas Adepu and co-chair Ramakanth Jonnala with team Vijay Beeram, Ramana Kalva, Prashanth Madavarapu and other volunteers did a wonderful job in serving dinner for such a mass crowd in the allocated time. Tasty dinner was served with a variety of food items from Krishna caterers, Naperville. People enjoyed the Centerpiece fountains with Ugadi pachadi and Panakam, Bhakshalu, vada, mango pulihora etc. Got exceptionally good appreciation from everyone.

Apart from Cultural programs on completing 50 years TAGC released a souvenir book showing the journey of the organization. Manasa Lathupalli and team did an excellent job in putting all 50 years memories together in the form of book. Venkat Gunuganti 2021 president released the book along with long time sponsors and past Executive committee members and Souvenir committee members.

TAGC president Uma Avadhuta thanked Past President Venkat Gunuganti and President elect Parameshwar Yarasani, Executive Committee, Board of directors and Volunteers who worked hard for months in planning to make the event grand success. She also thanked all the sponsors, donors and all the youth volunteers who helped in the success of the event. She also thanked all the participants, parents, teachers and guests for their enthusiastic show and support throughout the evening.

The Indian American community organization Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of Chicago, celebrated Indian Heritage Night for the 5^th consecutive year, at the Now Arena (previously Sears Center) where the Windy City Bulls – the official NBA G League affiliates of the Chicago Bulls, took on the College Park Skyhawks.

FIA Chicago is a 501 (c)(3) status, non-profit umbrella organization of other Indian Associations in the Chicago land and Midwest representing in excess of 300,000 culturally diverse but united together Asian-Indians. FIA has been actively engaged in serving the Indian American community for the past 12 years and has been instrumental in promoting Indian culture.

The Indian Heritage Night celebrations began, as the Chairman & Founder President of FIA Sunil Shah, along with wife Rita Shah, President Hitesh Gandhi, and Founder & Past President Onkar Singh Sangha, Exe. VP Vinita Gulabani, General Secretary Richa Chand & Cultural Secretary Pika Munshi, representing Team FIA and all Indian diaspora, proudly stood on the court holding the Indian Tricolor and the tricolor was also projected on the huge NOW arena monitors during the beautiful rendition of the Indian National Anthem by Ananya Ghosh. Immediately followed by it, the American National anthem, was sung by Nitya Nair. It was a very special experience for all. The spirited crowd cheered for both India & USA. Longlive India! Longlive USA!!

A Certificate of Appreciation was presented Brad Seymore, President, Windy City Bulls, to Team FIA – Chicago for their participation and celebrating five years of Indian Heritage Night. The honor was received by Sunil Shah, Rita Shah, Hitesh Gandhi, Onkar Sangha, Neil Khot, Vinita Gulabani, Altaf Bukhari, Richa Chand on behalf of Team FIA. When asked, Chairman Shah said, “We promote & motivate our youth to participate & perform during the Bulls games.”  President Gandhi added, “ We strive for a culture, rich & diverse, and this is one of the ways we can do it.”

Besides a very exciting basketball game between the competing teams, the highlight of the evening was the exquisite dance performances, by Chicago Dance Varsity Group led by Puja Joshi, showcasing the Indian Dance forms, during the pregame and quarter breaks that enthralled the audience.

The Pregame Dance performance by Dancing Divas & Little Angels group on Bollywood Instrumental followed by freestyle Bollywood Dance stole everyone’s heart. ( Performers: Anyraa Singh, Alak Shukla, Aamukta Chilukuri, Avika Patni, Sahasrika Moganti, Sataakshi Joshi, Shreeja Sonavane, Aaliya Khanum Mohammed, Hiral Shah, Pooja Giroh, Ruchi Sharma).

During the quarter breaks, there was a sensational Garbha folk dance by Magic Feet group ( Performers: Mahi Jain, Agalya Saminathan, Suriya Soni, Ridhima Singh, Apurva Vinodkumar, Riva Rithesh, Ahana Charanpahari ) There was also a beautiful Indian fusion dance performance by the Dancing Diamonds group. (Performers: Anika Sharma,  Samiksha Joshi, Saanvi Gubba, Niyati Parashar, Urvi Chirapu, Charisma ) Team FIA presented a Certificate of Appreciation to all the performers. The program coordinators were Richa Chand (FIA -Chicago) & Logan Robben (Windy City Bulls). Other FIA members who attended and supported the event were Abir Maru, Neelam Jai, Harry Sidhu, Pratik Deshpande, Vibha Rajput, Dr Afroz Hafeez, Subbu Iyyer, Julie Thakkar, Hemendra Shah, Peenal Shah, Chandni Kalra, Kavita Rawla, Aparna Khot, Chandini Duvuri, Deepa Sharma, Dr Ramesh Nair, Manoj Rathod and Suresh Bodiwala and their friends and families.

Also enjoyable was a fun zone with Windy City Bulls obstacle course and basketball hoops, one of the main attractions in the arena. Gus T, Live mascot of Bulls entertained the cheering crowds. The “Catch the T-shirt” act further energized the attendees.

Last but not the least, FIA greatly appreciates its sponsors and supporters. FIA Media coverage by: Suresh Bodiwala & Subhash Mantri, Asian Media.

Chicago IL: Mahatma Gandhi’s 74th death anniversary was observed on January 30, 2022 at 11:00 am at Mahatma Gandhi Statue in the National Heritage Park on McCormick Boulevard in Skokie, Illinois. Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi was remembered by singing of “Gandhi’s favorite Bhajans” and Powerful Tributes by Gandhi Memorial Foundation Board Members and Floral tributes by Consulate General of Chicago Mr Amit Kumar and his wife Mrs Surabhi Kumar.

The contribution of Mahatma Gandhi towards the nation and its independence is well known in Indian History. He was a great freedom fighter who taught the lesson of non-violence to the whole world and worked on building the unity of the nation which was broken by the British. After India got Independence in 1947, Bapu stayed away from politics and started working on harmony, peace, and brotherhood among the people. On Friday – January 30, 1948 at 5:17 PM the Father of the Nation was assassinated by Nathuram Godse in the year 1948 at Gandhi Smriti in the Birla House during the evening prayers. January 30 is the day when Mahatma Gandhi was martyred, and the Government of India announced the day as Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs’ Day (Sarvodaya Day).

The event starts by Shree Gurusamy welcoming remarks. Prayer songs “Vaishnav Janto and Raghupati Raghav Rajaram” led by Bhartiben Desai were very inspiring. Consul General Amit Kumar’s remembrance of Gandhiji’s talisman quotation was very timely. Dr Sriram Sonty remembered the Last few minutes of Mahatma Gandhiji’ Life. The White and Red color beautiful Garland was donated by Srinivas and Kavitha. Tea and snacks provided and brought by Consul Ranjit Singhji’s team. Diptiji put lots of efforts to call snow removal service because of over 10-inch snow by Mahatma Gandhi Statue in the National Heritage Park. Due to very cold weather (16 Degree Fahrenheit) the event was only for 15 minutes.

Embarking on a new chapter, Federation of Indian Associations [FIA] Chicago, status 501(c)(3), a premier community umbrella organization — held its very first meeting of the year 2022 on Jan 05, 2022 (7PM to 8:30PM CT). The meeting was hosted virtually via zoom keeping in mind the growing number of covid cases, practically all over the news channels lately!

The meeting was called to order by Gen Secretary, Richa Chand, and presided over by Founder President Sunil Shah and President 2022 Hitesh Gandhi, and well attended by Team FIA Board Members: Executive Board members:  Rita Singh, Mukesh Shah, Dhitu Bhagwakar, Neil Khot, Gurmeet Singh Dhalwaan, Vinita Gulabani, Pratibha Jairath, Ashawani  Mahajan, Abir Maru, Anu Malhotra, Pika Munshi Neelam Jai, Directors: Mukesh Mike Shah, Bharat Malhotra, Jitendra Balsara, Mir Ali, Vidya Joshi, Chandni Kalra, Pratik Deshpande, Hemendra Shah, Kashif Khan and Advisory Board members: Keerthi Reevori & Suresh Bodiwala.

The meeting was focused on the New Year and the New Beginnings under the leadership of President Hitesh Gandhi. Opening speeches were delivered by Sunil Shah, Hitesh Gandhi and Founding Members Mukesh Shah, Rita Singh, Neil Khot, Dhitu Bhagwakar, followed by other members present. There were exciting new updates shared about the upcoming FIA event for celebrating India’s 73rd Republic Day. Date, Venue and other details were discussed. Due to the exponential spread of Covid-19, Team FIA decided that FIA will host a virtual event on Jan 29th, 2022. More to come on that!!

There was another Big Achievement accomplished during this session. Looking at the contributions and dedicated service provided to Team FIA over the past several years, spanning more than a decade, by Founder President Sunil Shah, many team members, supporters and friends of FIA had several times earlier suggested a title in the Team, that would be more befitting and suitable to match his selfless service, hard work & toil, and his of course his caliber, FIA Chairman!  Therefore, taking the opportunity Founding Member Mukesh Shah, introduced to the group, all the contributions made by Sunil Shah for FIA family and went on to propose that he be conferred the Title of Chairman of the Board. The motion was immediately seconded by Rita Singh, Neil Khot, Hitesh Gandhi and then strongly supported by Gurmeet Dhalwaan, Keerthi Reevori, Suresh Bodiwala, Vinita Gulabani, Pratibha Jairath, Ashwani Mahajan, Mir Ali, Abir Maru, Richa Chand, Pika Munshi, Neelam Jai and the entire team and the motion was passed unanimously by majority vote!! Everyone immediately started congratulating Sunil Shah ji and it was a moment of elation and great celebration within Team FIA!!

This meeting was a significant one, not just because it was the first meeting under the leadership of President Hitesh Gandhi, but it also marked a new beginning for the entire Team FIA, as it passed a long pending motion, and unanimously appointed Sunil Shah as FIA Chairman.

With this, the first meeting was adjourned with new hopes and visions of new horizons and taking FIA to greater heights!  And FIA thanks and greatly appreciates all sponsors, supporters & media partners for their unwavering support & trust in FIA.

Federation of Indian Associations [FIA] Chicago IL, paid glowing tributes to its team member Mir Ali to honor his life and his contributions and hosted a virtual event, ‘FIA Tribute to Director Mir Ali’ via zoom, on Jan 08, 2022 at 2:00 PM (CT) from Schaumburg IL. Mr Mir Ali had suffered a massive and fatal heart attack, on Jan 07, 2022 at 6:30am at his residence where he passed away.

This condolences ceremony was presided by FIA Chairman Sunil Shah and President Hitesh Gandhi, Founding Member Neil Khot and anchored & moderated by Gen Secretary Richa Chand. This event was also supported by the entire Team FIA, Advisory Board Members, Friends & Supporters of FIA:

AAEIO, Mall of India, Outland-media and Asian Media USA. The event was very well attended by Team FIA members, several leaders, thinkers, artists and friends and family. And originally scheduled to be just one hour long, but it took 3 hrs to complete, since all present at the event wanted to share their grief and sorrow….and such is the greatness of this noble human being.

 The event started with the Shanti Mantras and Prayers offered by Anu Malhotra and opening condolences speeches by Sunil Shah and Hitesh Gandhi. A tribute video was played, capturing the precious moments in Mir Ali ji’s life (Video Credit: Harry Siddhu, CEO Outland group of Companies). Prominent leaders who also spoke were Neil Khot, Rita Shah, Mukesh Shah, Dhitu Bhgwakar, Smita Shah, Keerthi Reevori, Suresh Bodiwala, Ajeet Singh, Harry Siddhu, Mujeeb Ahmed, Gurmeet Singh Dhalwaan, Vinita Gulabani, Abir Maru, Richa Chand, Ila Chaudhari, Pika Munshi, Jitendra Balsara, Dr Fawaad Ahmad, Malti Pandhi, Monalisha Borghain, Manmeet Kaur, Vidya Joshi, Vikas Kalwani, Chandni Kalra, Dr Afroz Hafeez and many more friends who gave their heartfelt condolences to the cherished friend and colleague that they lost all too sudden. Song video clips of Mir were played several times in between the speeches, that made everyone feel teary eyed, at the same time reminded them of what a fine artist and human being he was.

Mir Ali (Apr 20, 1962 – Jan 07, 2022), hailed from Hyderabad India, and migrated to the USA, and lived with his family, in Carol stream IL. His old mother also lived with them. Mr Mir Ali, fondly known as Mir Bhai, by his friends and contacts was a very well-known name in our community here in Chicagoland.

By profession, he was a Banker, but by heart he was a passionate musician. He loved singing and was very famous as the ‘Voice of Mukesh’, and was a huge fan of Late legendary Bollywood singer, Mukesh. He was also trained in playing classical instruments, Tabla and Harmonium. He hosted several successful musical events with his team, ‘Mir Ali and Group’ and provided opportunity and platform to many new and upcoming artists.

He was always on the lookout for the new talent and promoted them wholeheartedly and also helped many of the existing artists to showcase their singing, dancing and event management skills. He supported a lot of needy people financially by taking care of their education and wedding expenses, just like his own family. He also encouraged many of his friends to start their own musical companies and helped them get established.

He was also serving as Director in Team FIA and his contributions to Team FIA will be forever remembered. With his charismatic personality, he always made FIA events more special, and FIA expresses deep sorrow and despair at the untimely demise of Mir Bhai. In February, he was going to receive an award from another prominent community organization, MEATF and he was scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia for an invitational musical tour, but his journey of life ended too soon. Now even though he is no longer with us, he will continue to live on in our memories and hearts forever. He is survived by his wife, Farkhunda Jabeen Ali, son Nazar Ali & daughter Nida Ali.

Whilst our hearts cannot let go of the memories that we cherish dearly for our dear friend Mir Ali Bhai, we bid a tearful sad farewell  to him …..We are still in a state of shock and cannot believe that Mir Bhai has already left us for heaven, aur yeh bhi kitna sach saabit hua hai ki Allah apne nek aur pyaare bando ko sabse pehale bula lete hain….We will miss you Mir Bhai… and there will be no other “Voice of Mukesh” like yourself….Pure & soulful … you will never be forgotten…

FIA thanked all the participants who were able to attend this Tribute zoom event and we hope wherever Mir Bhai is, he is listening to our prayers and watching us all from up there.

Club of Indian Women (CIW) hosted its rollicking annual holiday gala on Wednesday, December 8^th at Ashyana Banquets in Downers Grove, IL. The gala was attended by several women achievers who have done great work in their respective fields and have also been a part of CIW for many years.

Dressed in their holiday best, everyone had come ready to get together with friends and have a good time. There were games, fun and furious, including a Bollywood themed word search, a saree tying contest as well as dancing to musical chairs without the chairs! The entertainment included beautiful singing by Raja Nadampalli and Tara Swaminathan as well as DJ Saif, an appearance by ‘Pammi Aunty’ aka Mridula Bansal, shayari by Jasbir Singh, Punjabi tappey by Vimal Handa and a dazzling dance performance by Falguni Rana.

The program was beautifully planned by Sarita Sood, Tara Swaminathan and Vinita Gulabani under the leadership of CIW vice president Preeti Chawla and superbly anchored by Vinita Gulabani. During breaks for delicious appetizers and a sumptuous lunch, attendees had a chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones.

Urmil Chawla made sure that audience saw the raffle prizes and enthusiastically purchased the raffle tickets. Madhu Uppal announced that, with the generosity and support of its members, in 2020, CIW was able to donate nearly $9,000 to area food banks and food pantries and social service agencies. Impressed by the scale of its humanitarian work, some additional donations were received by CIW right after this announcement.

Club of Indian Women is a not-profit group whose vision is that ‘All Women should have the opportunity to achieve their full potential’. And its mission is to empower Indian American Women through support groups and financial resources / help. It was founded in 1983 to meet the social and cultural needs of the fast-growing Indian community, and, for many years, in addition to organizing cultural celebrations, Meena Bazars, holidays parties etc., ran a much-needed Crisis Hotline which was a forerunner to Apna Ghar.

Today, CIW organizes literary slams, book and movie discussions, seminars on social and cultural issues, outings to area theaters and parks and awards funds to local agencies that are working to support families in need. ‘We are so happy to see a younger generation take on leadership role in CIW and today’s event is a testament to their skill and dedication to this organization,” remarked Prem Sharma, one of the founders of CIW. “We missed CIW president, Vandana Bankapur, who is away visiting family in India.” Prem added. Media was represented by Prachi Jaitly of Asian Media Broadcasting

Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) hosted a welcome reception to unveil its comprehensive roadmap for 2022 & beyond replete with meaningful events that seeks to compliment and celebrate a multitude of community-centric program initiatives with emphasis on India’s festivals, community outreach, charitable causes, social, cultural, business, medical and other community- oriented events including  addressing the emerging pandemic challenges at its annual board meeting held on Sunday, November 28, 2021 at the Big Suchir Banquets in Westmont, IL. The meeting was attended by the entire FIA team as a well as the advisory board members.

This year FIA Chicago unanimously elected its new leader Hitesh Gandhi and the new board. The event was presided by Founding Members Sunil Shah, Onkar Sangha, Neil Khot, Rita Singh, Mukesh Shah, Dhitu Bhagwakar and Current President Kamal Patel.

FIA’s General Secretary Richa Chand conducted the proceedings of the Annual Board Meeting for the year 2021-2022 and invited Founder President Sunil Shah for his opening remarks. Shah in his speech, outlined the successes behind the year 2021, listing the events conducted by the FIA and its team. He thanked the outgoing team for its hard work in putting together and conducting various India centric and Charitable events during the year. He also took the opportunity to welcome new members to team FIA. In a major announcement he declared that FIA would initiate an annual FIA Scholarship for deserving students starting from the year 2022.

Current President Dr. Kamal Patel in his speech, thanked the founding board, and the team 2021 for all the work put in to make the year a resounding success. From the Republic Day event in January 2021 albeit a Zoom Event attended by more than 350 guests headline by Kailash Kher the prominent Bollywood Singer, to the Holi Festival of Colors Event which was two pronged – one to celebrate the festival of Holi and two to collect funds to send to India as a donation for the fight against Covid and supply oxygen Concentrators, not to forget the grand Independence Day event to celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Founding Members Onkar Sangha, Neil Khot, Rita Singh, Mukesh Shah, Dhitu Bhagwakar also took the stage thanking team 2021 and praising the work of the team in making the year a resounding success. Founding Member and Past President Neil Khot announced the formation of a Board of Trustees that would be seated with Past Presidents and announced the names of Ninad Daftari and Gurmeet Singh Dhalwan as the two past presidents being the trustees on this esteemed board.

Founder President Sunil Shah then announced Team 2022 , President Elect Hitesh Gandhi will spearhead the team for the year 2022 with the help of Executive Vice Presidents Shital Daftari and Vinita Gulabani and the entire board which include Vice Presidents – Altaf Bukhari, Pratibha Jairath, Anu Malhotra, Sonia Luther, Abir Maru, General Secretary – Richa Chand, Joint Secretary – Neelam Saboo, Treasurer – Vaishal Talati, Joint Treasurer – Ashwani Mahajan, Cultural Secretary – Pika Munshi, Joint Cultural Secretary – Ila Chaudhari, Directors: Harsh Shah, Mukesh Shah, Chetan Patel, Vibha Rajput, Varsha Visal, Jitendra Bulsara, Vidya Joshi, Jesse Singh, Bharat Malhotra, N Nagasubramaniam Iyyer, Hitesh Patel, Ashima Washington, Vikas Kalwani, Mir Ali, Dr. Afroz Hafeez, Chandni Kalra, Nirav Patel, Murugesh Kasilingam, Pratik Deshpande and Sujal Patel.

The incoming President Hitesh Gandhi offered his view for the year 2022 and the plans to take the organization to new heights with events planned for Celebrating India’s Republic Day, Independence Day and Cultural events like Holi and Diwali. This year FIA Chicago will also host Medical Wellness Checkup Camp, Blood Donation Drive, Food Drive and Toys of Kids during the holiday season.

FIA Chicago was founded to bring Cultural awareness to the Chicagoland area and has now grown to serve the community by hosting many events for the community and helping the community grow and become one. FIA Chicago plans to take on projects like Job Fair, Entrepreneurship camps and Youth Leadership Development Skill Camps.

Sunil Shah then took the opportunity to thank the new advisory board members for the year 2022 year including  Deepakkant Vyas, Anil Loomba of HMSI, Suresh Bodiwala of Asian Media Broadcasting, Yogi Bhardwaj, Vinoz Chanamolu, Nag Jaiswal, Jasbir Suga, Syed Hussaini, Manish Gandhi, Brij Sharma (Power Volt), Asha Oroskar (Orochem), Smita Shah (Direct Floors), Amarbir Singh Ghoman, Pradeep Shukla (CPA) and Neal Patel (MedStar), Pinky Thakkar, Sanhita Agnihotri, Ajeet Singh, Aishwarya Sharma and Keerthi Reevori

Metropolitan Asian Family Services (MAFS) kicked off a star studded and safe in person event after a year and a half of combating COVID-19 on October 17, 2021. It was a colossal success! October 17th is a very significant date for MAFS as the Governor of Illinois Proclaimed this day as “MAFS DAY”.

Vibrant and Charming Neil Khot and Richa Chand were the emcees who did a tremendous job who kept the show exciting until the very end. Dr. Vijnay Prabhakar did an excellent job outlining the show as the chair of the Gala.

The show commenced with the Lamp Lighting ceremony by the MAFS Board Members, President Dr. Firdaus Jafri, Vice-President Mr. Nikunj Baxi, Secretary Dr. Rakesh Asthana, Treasurer Sagar Kumar, Board members James D’Mello, Dr. Sonal Patel, Vasanti Bhatt, Monali Desai and the Founder/Executive Director, Dr. Mrs Santosh Kumar.

This was followed by the Governor of Illinois, J. B. Pritzker’s speech where he praised and appreciated MAFS’s commendable work to serve and empower the seniors and immigrant communities for 29 years. This is certainly a big honor for MAFS! Next was an elegant dance performance, Ganesh Vandana by renowned dancer Madhura Sane who filled the stage with her graceful and pious dancing praising Lord Ganesh. Her beautiful and eloquent dance moves were a treat to watch. We felt as though Lord Ganapathy had graced the occasion.

Dr. Firduas Jafri, President of MAFS who is an accomplished dentist with her own practice in Carol Stream, IL addressed the audience with her welcoming speech and asked the people to donate generously to support MAFS to sustain its programs to help the community. This was followed by our very own vibrant Grants Manager, Roshita Pandey’s speech on MAFS in action 2020 – 2021. Here she welcomed the dignitaries as she glorified and detailed the vital programs of MAFS. She stressed on the fact that MAFS is a Not-For-Profit organization with limited funding. She amplified that in order to continue its programs which is much needed by our seniors we depend on gracious donors to cover the expenses that the grants do not cover. Her passion for MAFS programs to help the community was obvious in her speech. Kudos to you Roshita Pandey!

A special shout out to the dancers from the Tarana Dance Academy and the Saloni group. The experienced dancers were well coordinated with precise choreography which helped them receive a loud roar of applause from the audience. Their choice of costume was so apt.

Next was the annual report/ Financial Review given by Mr. Sagar Kumar/ CFO, MAFS. He put together a clear vision of the report. He said that this year was the best year for MAFS financially and gave credit to our Grants Manager Roshita Pandey for her efforts to bring in Grants for MAFS.

Congresswoman Robin Kelly, chairman of the democratic party of Illinois was called on stage to talk as our Keynote speaker. In her speech she praised MAFS for its life changing programs and connecting with seniors of the community to keep them safe and well. She said a lot of her work is related to what MAFS does. She praised Dr. Mrs. Santosh Kumar for her hard work and dedication to serve the community. She is grateful for the work MAFS does to serve the undeserved population to lead a better life through vital programs like Medicare, Medicaid, social security, snap and many more.

She continued to praise MAFS for serving more than 10,000 people and said that it was “Remarkable”. She applauded Dr. Santosh Kumar for keeping her doors open with the programs for the people who may not find these vital programs elsewhere. She compelled MAFS to continue its programs especially programs like the adult literacy program, Translation and interpretation program, immigration program. She thanked MAFS for being a liaison to Washington in serving the community with all its vital programs. She said that Washington is working on helping organizations like MAFS to better serve the elderly. Hats off to MAFS!

Next our very own Naperville staff showcased a colorful garba dance. Kudos to all our Naperville participants for doing such a great job and showing off their hidden talents.  Following this entertaining dance, Congressman Rajakrishnamoorthi spoke and praised Dr. Santosh Kumar for her outstanding work to the community. He urged people to donate for the good cause and dedication of MAFS. He mentioned that Dr. Kumar is so aptly named “Mother Theresa of Chicago”, a title well deserved. He also thanked Dr. Jafri and other board members. He thanked the other dignitaries present like, Congresswoman, Robin Kelly, Mayor of Hanover Park – Rodney Craig, Senator Laura Murphy, Senator Cristina Castro, Representative Michelle Mussman and Representative Janet Yang for taking the time to join this gala to support MAFS.

He wished everyone Happy Dasahara and a Happy Diwali which is the season of triumph of good over evil and knowledge prevailing over ignorance.  He said that what MAFS does really works for the community since they served more than 32,000 meals this year and more than 10,000 underprivileged people were served. He added when an immigrant senior comes to the US, they are lonely and the only place they can turn too is MAFS! What an honor for MAFS! Thank you, Congressman Rajakrishnamoorthi, for having faith in MAFS. Since MAFS serves the seniors of the community, he is happy to vote for the reauthorization of the Older Americans ACT, which provides nutritional assistance, support for caregivers as well as disease prevention. He urged everyone to support MAFS to sustain its program to better serve the community.

Next was a heartwarming narration by MAFS Participants Tripta Malhotra and Jayesh Desai, who very warmly narrated the impact MAFS played to better their lives. They specially thanked Dr. Santosh Kumar for assisting the seniors through her various centers. They consider MAFS centers as their second home. They said how much the programs like Yoga, Adult literacy programs, fresh and healthy meals program, congregating with other seniors and many more, have played an important and positive role to eliminate isolation and other problems the seniors combat especially during the Pandemic.

Richa Chand and Neil Khot periodically used their charm to nudge everyone to donate and thanks to them for their hard and persuasive work that encourage our donors to graciously support MAFS. KUDOS!!!

The Mahatma Gandhi Sesquicentennial medallion and MAFS colors were presented my Honorable Mr. Amit Kumar and Mrs Surabhi Amit Kumar along with Dr. Santosh Kumar. Milana Carse did a great job by announcing and introducing the recipients of the medallion.  Congratulations to state Rep. Michelle MUSSMAN, Sunil Shah – FIA Chicago Founder, Dr Sreenivas Reddy, Bur Ridge, State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, State Rep. Christina Castro, Dr. Amit Ray, Neurologist, State Rep. Laura Murphy, Neil Khot-Rely Services, IL,  Bishop Tavis Grant – Rainbow Push Coalition, Inc, Mayor of Hanover Park – Rodney Craig, Amar Uphadyay – Community Activist, Acharya Rohit Joshi, Treasurer of Chicago – Melissa Ervin, Shridar Damle – Author, Marta Pereyra- Clese.

Later Dr. Sreenivasan Reddy invited Honorable Consul General Mr. Amit Kumar to give a speech. In his speech, the Consul General congratulated MAFS and all the recipients. He praised Dr. Santosh Kumar for her commendable social service to the community like promoting mental health program and other beneficial public benefits programs. He wished MAFS success to grow and continue their estimable work. He also spoke about India’s progress regarding COVID vaccinations and other issues in India. Thank you, Honorable Consul General, for being a well-wisher and supporter of MAFS!

The highlight of the show was revealed when the video of the new MAFS 15th Senior Center on Devon Ave., was presented. It is narrated by our very own IT Director Mr. Prashant Kumar and CFO Mr. Sagar Kumar. In this video they narrate the evolution of the state of the art, 20,000 sq. ft center for seniors. It is truly an amazing jaw dropping video. The center is supposed to be up and rolling early November just in time for Diwali. All are invited to view this amazing piece of art exclusively designed for our seniors. Mr. Prashant Kumar and Mr. Sagar Kumar have dedicated this center to their parents and called it “The Pramod and Santosh Kumar Senior Center of Excellence!!! A must-see place, and surely, a future landmark of the Chicagoland area at 2522 West Devon Ave! To view this video please click on the link.

Next Mrs Surabhi Kumar (w/o Consul General of India) unveiled the MAFS souvenir book. The first recipient of this souvenir book was Mrs. Meghna Bansal, Trustee, Wheatland, Township. Mrs. Bansal congratulated MAFS for serving her mother-in-law who is a participant of MAFS. Dr. Asthana and Sagar Kumar were the other recipients of the souvenir. In her speech Mrs. Surabhi Kumar congratulated Dr. Santosh Kumar for her dedication and personal commitment to serve the seniors. She mentioned that she was touched when she witnessed the seniors of the MAFS sing the “Jana Gana Mana” with utmost reverence on the 75th Independence Day celebration of India. She concluded her speech assuring her support for MAFS and its future endeavors.

Secretary, Dr. Rakesh Asthana and his team got on to the stage to encourage the audience to donate. Donations kept coming in steadily. Job well done Dr. Rakesh Asthana! Next singer Ms. Pavithra Anand gave a teaser song that put the audience in a celebrating mood.

Following this, Dr. Firdaus Jafri, Consul General Mr. Amit Kumar, Dr. Santosh Kumar and Mrs. Sonal Patel presented the Pramod Kumar Philanthropy award to Mr. Sunil Singh – a community leader for the Washington D. C. area. The Community Service Award was presented to Ms. Gunjan Rastogi, an entrepreneur and community leader. The Partnership award was presented to Ms. Elizabeth Cagan – Executive Director of the White Crane Wellness Center. Pillar of MAFS award was presented to Jahnavi Bavisi. Coordinator of the Year was presented to Eugenie Favre. Health Research award was presented to Himali Bharucha. Outreach award was presented to Radhika Subramanian. Volunteer of the Year was presented to Girish Machhar. Cook of the year was presented to Jayshree Thakkar. Mr. Mahajan was presented the award too.

To conclude the program, Dr. Mrs Santosh Kumar, a true “Mother Theresa of Chicago” thanked one and all for their support to MAFS. The show concluded with the melodious entertainment by Pavithra Anand and Parth Patel. Their songs were so captivating that the whole staff danced to make this event a big success! GOD BLESS MAFS!

Bhartiya Senior citizen group of Chicago (BSCC), a reputable organization serving thousands of seniors and Manpasand, a well-known name in the entertainment industry came together to create history with its action-packed cultural extravaganza ‘The Desi-Fest’. The event was held on Sunday, September 5th, 2021 at Rana Reagan community center in Carol Stream, 343 St. Paul Blvd., Carol Stream, IL.  Many leaders from many different fields such as medical, sports entertainment, political, teaching spiritual leaders and prominent community leaders were present at The Desi-Fest. The event attendance was House Full.

Haribhai Patel, President of the BSCC, along with all the committee members have proved once more that his efforts in ensuring his senior members receive the best service is unmatched. In the past, The BSCC has held vaccination fairs to make sure all members can get vaccinated without going through online appointments and unnecessary hurdles.

This year, Mr. Haribhai Patel wanted to do something where, after being locked inside during the pandemic for so long, all of his members were able to come out and socialize. Mr. Patel organized The Desi Fest, an Indian fair, with live entertainment, shopping, food and much more. Everything was complimentary for all members of the BSCC. The Desi Fest was held at Rana Reagan community center in Carol Stream. Mr. Patel’s vision to keep this fair safe and maintain CDC instructed guidelines presented itself as a challenge, but it did not stop him from hosting this event, nonetheless.

Manpasand, Inc. – a well-known nationwide entertainment company owned by Mrs. Bhavna Modi, managed all the festivities that took place. Her event management capabilities showed themselves, as this event was a difficult one to host outdoors. Mrs. Bhavna Modi not only coordinated the elite singers and sound to the Desi Fest but also handpicked all the food vendors for senior members, doing so to ensure they had a variety of food options to choose from. Mrs. Modi’s hard work and extraordinary event planning matched Mr. Patel’s vision. Under the blue sky all the way until the dark of night, Mr. Haribhai Patel’s leadership and tremendous support by Manpasand Inc. and Mrs. Bhavna Modi was the core of what made this fest a huge success, attracting more than 1,000 people.

The entertainment portion of the evening kicked off with the Master of Ceremony Mrs. Neelam Desai. Her deep and subtle voice and intoxicated ways of delivering speeches was sweet music to all the ears.  Laughter is the ultimate medicine they say. Mayuri Patel, a standup comedian made everyone laugh with her extraordinary sense of humor. Well known and everyone’s favorite singers Mr. Rex D’Souza, Ms. Shilpi Paul and Ms. Kausha Pandya rocked the stage with nonstop live singing and music. Their melodious voices kept The BSCC members glued to their chairs. Many from the audience was nonstop on their feet dancing on the stage and off the stage. The electricity between the singers and the audience made the night very Young at heart.

To make this fair safe, The BSCC and Manpasand Inc. joined hands, once again, with The Rana-Reagan Pharmacy located at 398 W. Army Trail Rd in Bloomingdale. Rana-Reagan provided their own booth and brought their team of 9 people to offer free rapid and PCR COVID-19 tests to anyone who came to the event. The Rana- Reagan Pharmacy’s outstanding services and support were recognized by Mr. Haribhai Patel during his speech. Mr. Patel also announced that he will be holding a Covid- 19 Booster shots clinic for all eligible members, nonmembers and for their family from September 20th per CDC guidelines.

One of the recipients at the festival was Jasbir Suga of Suga Builders. Jasbir Suga is known for his selfless community service and he has been supporting so many community initiatives for many years. Suga Builders is a well-known name in the construction industry because of its excellent customer satisfaction and reliable work ethics. The company has been serving Chicagoland for close to three decades and specializes in catering to customized needs of its commercial as well as residential customers. It is a one stop place for any construction project from planning, designing, pre-construction, procurement, construction and to post-construction.

The BSCC has presented awards to those who made a huge difference in the community with their selfless acts and services during the pandemic. The following is a list for those who were honored for their outstanding performance in their surrounding communities by Mr. Haribhai Patel: Community Engagement and Leadership Award: Kamlesh Shah and Alisha Bedi of The Rana-Reagan Pharmacy Heart of our Community Award: Nimish Jani Character Counts Award: Jasbir Suga of Suga Builders Shining Star Award: Ashok Punjabi of Chicago Import Pandemic Hero Award: Dr. Syed Naveed and Ibrahim Alimirah of Free COVID Care Extra Mile Award: J.P. Patel Making a Difference Award: Seth Lewis.

Under the leadership of its President Mr Rajesh Patel, the Federation of Indian Associations, Chicago organized a spectacular parade on Devon Avenue to mark India’s 75th Independence Day. Mr Niranjan Shah’s daughter Ms Smita Shah marshaled the parade.

United States’ ranking Congressman Danny Davis participated in India’s Iconic Chicago Parade. Addressing the Community from the Grandstand, Congressman Danny Davis said: “I wish India and Indian Community a very happy India Independence Day and congratulate the organizers for this exceptionally beautiful parade.”

Instantaneously reciprocating Congressman Danny Davis for his greetings and compliments, President Rajesh Patel stated that Indian Community is grateful to Congressman for attending the Parade. He also thanked him for Congressman Danny Davis’ continued support to all NRIs. Highlighting the significant of the current year’s Parade, President Rajesh Patel stated, “Today’s Parade The parade receded into history the ghastly memories of community’s sufferings from the preceding coved-19 pandemic.

Rajesh Patel also thanked Chicago Police for assisting the organizers in smooth run of the parade. He appreciated the support from the business community that has just recovered from the adverse impact of the Coved-19. Heartthrob diva of the glamor world Ms Khushi Patel was the star attraction at the parade. She is winner of the Miss India USA Miss Popular 2021, and also Miss India Florida 2021. Spectators especially the youth were seen jostling and jumping over the barricades to come and greet her.

Chicago’s world-famous Devon Avenue, also popularly known as ‘Little India’ wore a festive look with India’s national colors – Orange, White, and Green – fluttering all along. It was tastefully decorated with ceremonial paraphernalia especially imported from India. Spectators on both the sides of the street cheered a long series of floats as they marched past the Devon Avenue. Ismaili Community’s famous pipe-band was the vanguard of the parade. The floats represented different states and regions of India. Maharastra Mandal’s troupe with its bombastic lazium attracted maximum applause all along the route. Majestic float of the Metropolitan Asian Family Services went past the stand roaring “Bharat Mata Ki Jai.” Other organizations whose floats marched past the Grand Stand included: VHP, and Sardar Patel Foundation.

Political entities also joined the parade march. Significant them included: US Congressman Danny Davis, Congresswomen Jan Schakowsky, Illinois Senator Ram Vallivalam, Mayor Jassal Patel, Mayor of Moline Sangeetha Rayapati, Maine County Trustee Asif Malik, and Illinois State Rep Ms Denyse Wang Stoneback. Also present were: Judge Rena Vantine, Judge Sanjay Tailor, Indo American Democratic Organization President Susan Patel, and Ms Valerie from High Ridge’s HRCC, Commissioner Water Reclamation District Commissioner Josina Morita along with Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos also marched in the parade.

FIA Trustees who marched in the Parade included: Sunny Gabawala, Babu Marsha Patel, Sher Rajput, Anil Pillai, Sohan Joshi, Minhaz Akhter, and Kanti N Patel. Several Indian Army Officers also walked in the Parade. India’s local diplomat, Amit Kumar Consul General of India did not attend India’s Independence Day Parade because he had an official Govt. of India program at his office. His subordinate PK Mishra was substituted. Political aspirants Patricia Theresa Flyen, and Dilara Sayeed were also noticed. Indian Overseas Congress USA (Kerala Chapter) also joined the parade.

The parade comprised also of multiple corporates to include: Prism Health Lab, Tiffin-Udupi-ISP conglomerate, CK Motors Elgin, Shreeji Builders, Patel Brothers, Regal Jewelers, and World Fresh Market. The Parade Trustee and Banquet chair of FIA Chicago Iftekhar Shareef praise all Indo-American Community participating in the 75th India Independence Day celebration. Shareef congratulated the executive team its President Mr Rajesh Patel and all the trustees for Grand success of Parade.

Federation of Indian Associations [FIA] hosted a grand glittering 75th Indian Independence Day Gala Banquet marking a dazzling milestone celebration ostensibly enhanced with illuminating traditional, patriotic and contemporary dance presentations depicting the majestic elements and the magnificent soul of India matched only by the inspiring remarks that sparked the patriotic fervor of the enthusiastic guests in a grand ballroom of the Hoffman Marriot on Friday, August 13, 2021 in Hoffman Estate, Illinois.

The Independence Day “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” Banquet hosted on an impressive scale filled the Grand Ballroom to its full capacity with the patriotic spirit in full enthusiastic display at the celebrations symbolizing the spirit of India lifted by awe-inspiring remarks from prominent honored guests: Consul General of India Amit Kumar, U.S.Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Mayor Rodney Craig, Mayor Tom Daily and several other ranking elected officials each heaping praise on the 75th milestone celebrations.

The gala banquet reminisced the golden moments in the history of India and paid rich tributes to the vanguard of freedom fighters who accorded the Independence to India. Ms. Neetu Chandra

Bollywood Actress, National Award Winner, International Taekwondo Player graced the occasion as the Grand Marshall to the gala. Angel Tetarbe World Peace Messenger Los Angeles 2019 and Miss Glamourous World India 2017 was also invited to be a part of the Gala.

The evening gala kicked off with lamp lighting ceremony led by FIA’s Founder Sunil Shah inviting the honored guest, Honorable Consul General of India, Chicago Mr. Amit Kumar, State Senators Cristina Castro and Laura Murphy , State representative Michelle Mussman and Mayor of Schaumburg Tom Dailly, Village President of Hoffman Estates William McLeod, Mayor of Hanover Park Rodney Craig and Village President of Oak Brook Gopal Lalmalani, Dr. Umang Patel, Dr. Sreenivas Reddy and the FIA’s Founder & Past President Onkar Singh Sangha , President Dr Kamal Patel Advisory Board and Founding Members & Past Presidents Rita Singh, Dhitu Bhagwakar, Mukesh Shah, Neil Khot, Gurmeet Singh, Ninad Daftari and

Sunny Kular to the dais to mark the auspicious beginning of the evening’s grand celebrations that set-in motion a series of cultural dance presentations and rousing remarks.

FIA’s Founder President Sunil Shah in his remarks warmly welcomed the honored guests and the families; he specially thanked, recognized and acknowledged the ranking members of the FIA leadership team for fervently striving excellence in hosting a befitting gala in honor of India’s Independence. Sunil Shah took the opportunity to salute the vanguard of freedom fighters who gave the ultimate sacrifice to extract India’s freedom. Sunil Shah said, it is my vision to see that FIA playing a more proactive role in the community and help in the causes that are significant to our Indian Americans.

FIA President Dr. Kamal Patel in his remarks outlined the significance of Indian Independence and profusely thanked the chief guest and the prominent guests of honor Dr. Umang Patel and Dr. Sreenivas Reddy, praising their achievements in their fields as well as their philanthropic deeds during the pandemic.

Consul General of India Mr. Amit Kumar in his address outlined India’s triumphant journey since its independence and the rapid strides it is making towards global eminence. Consul General Mr. Amit Kumar thanked the Indian diaspora for playing a significant proactive role as ambassadors in further cementing the ties between India and the United States and added that the trajectory of Indo-US relations is heading in the upward direction. Consul General Mr. Amit Kumar gave away the awards to several community and business leaders.

Founder Member and Past President Neil Khot introduced and welcomed Congressman Raja

Krishnamoorthi to the gathering and invited him to the dais. U.S. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi in his impassioned remarks commended Federation of Indian Associations for hosting such a grand India Independence banquet bringing in so many together to joyously celebrate the 75th birthday of India.

Praising FIA and its leadership team, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said FIA represents Freedom, Independence & Ascendency and went on to say that Indian Americans have made tremendous Dr. Umang Patel and Dr. Sreenivas Reddy in their address to the gathering congratulated the FIA team for the Grand Celebration of the 75th India Independence Day broaching the subject of the progress India has made after independence in a relatively short time and the Indo American influence that the Indian Diaspora has in the same.

State Senators Cristina Castro and Laura Murphy , State representative Michelle Mussman and Mayor of Schaumburg Tom Dailly, Village President of Hoffman Estates William McLeod, Mayor of Hanover Park Rodney Craig and Village President of Oak Brook Gopal Lalmalani in their address to the gathering each paid glowing tributes to the indomitable and enduring spirit of Indian democracy and the contribution the Indian Diaspora has made in the US and the Indo American relations that have been fast paced and improved over the years. Deepakant Vyas, Dr. Umang Patel, Dr. Sreenivas Reddy, Syed Hussaini, Amarbir & Harry Ghoman, Brij

Sharma, Asha & Anil Oroskar, Santosh Kumar, Pinky Thakkar, Ajeet Singh, Vijay Prabhakar, Keerthi Reevori were recognized presented a plaque by the Consul General Amit Kumar and Ms. Neetu Chandra on behalf of FIA for their service to the community

Earlier, the evening’s celebrations began with the beautiful rendition of the Indian and American national anthem led by Rita Shah & Mir Ali. Bharat Goradia a prominent National Promoter for US tours of Bollywood Personalities was invited to the stage to address the gathering and introduce Ms. Neetu Chandra. Students of SR Dance Academy a Founder Member and Past President Rita Singh’s company provided dance numbers that enthralled the audience. Beautiful Ideas, a Neelam Saboo concept showcased Indian Fashion at the gala with a India themed Fashion Show.

The Gala ended with Rita Shah, Mir Ali, Raju Bankapur regaling the audience with foot tapping Bollywood songs to live music. The dinner at the event was catered by Maharaja Restaurant Rosemont. Emcees Anu Malhotra & Sonia Luther were at their eloquent best in conducing the event with grace, pause and flair. Executive Vice President Vinita Gulabani, Vice President Pratibha Jairath and General Secretary Richa Chand worked tirelessly behind the

scenes to make this event a grand success. FIA would like to thank all its Media Partners Adhbhut Media, India Post, Desi Talk, TV Asia, Asian Media, Hi India Divya Bhaskar and the Indian Eye for their presence and support.

FIA, Chicago is grateful to all the sponsors. Marriott Chicago Northwest, Dr Umang Patel, Dr Sreenivas Reddy, Redberri, Hanmi Bank. Powervolt, OROCHEM, New York Life, VINAKOOM, Pinky & Dinesh Thakkar, MAFS, Power Plant Services, IACA, IABC, Patel Brothers, World Money Exchange, S R International, Dr Bhupinder Beri, Dr Dhaval Patel, Suga Builders, Woodridge clinic and Rely services

DwarkamaiInc is a recognized non-profit, tax-exempt organization under IRS code section 501(c)(3) of USA. Dwarkamai is dedicated to organizing events and conducting activities directed towards personal spiritual development of the community by following the teachings of Shri Sainath, a saint from Shirdi The Guiding Principle behind opening Dwarkamai’s “Centers of Spiritual Excellence” was to take the worship center closer to devotee’s homes based on request from devotees in an area rather than make devotees drive for hours to visit a worship center.

 The same principle has brought us to the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, IL where a group of 60 devotee families felt the need for a worship center nearby and requested Dwarkamai to open a Spiritual Center on the lines of those started in Massachusetts.Under the guidance of our mentor, Shri Anil Naik, Support from the members of the community who wished to have a location in the Northwest suburbs and a Landlord willing to go the extra mile, Dwarkamai’s newest “Center of Spiritual Excellence”, Shri Shirdi Sai Mandir, Rolling Meadows, IL opened its doors to the community on Dusherra Day, Oct 25, 2020 and has been providing volunteer driven services to the community since then.

Shri Shirdi Sai Mandir, Rolling Meadows kicked the month-long Shri Venkateswara and Navagraha Praana Prathistha Mahotsavam- July 2021 with the Jaladhivasam event on Sunday, July 4 th, 2021 During Jaladhivasam, the Vigrahas are completely immersed in water in a reclining position. This is done to emphasize centrality of water in the Vedas. Water is the essence of Jyothi or light. The essence of the mantras chanted during this ritual is that all entities including vital air, animals and food are a form of water. Water shines brilliantly by itself and cannot be ruled over by any other entity. Truth is also considered as a form of water. Devotees sang “Govinda, Govinda” accompanied by sounds of temple bells, conch and musical instruments during this event and poured water over Lord Venkateswara and Navagrahas to immerse them in water completely.

 Our next event during this month-long event is the Dhanyadhivasam event scheduled on July 15, 2021 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. We invite the community to come and participate in this once in a lifetime event. During Dhanyadhivasam, the Vigrahas will be completely immersed in Dhanyams for 11days. Bhagavan is saluted through this ritual as “Vishwa-bhuk“, the protector of the Universe. The essence of the manthrams recited at this time is that the Lord is recognized as the Controller, Master and Consumer of the entire universe and pray to him for his satisfaction with the offering of Anna or Dhanyam. It states that the food is a form of nectar and is offered to the Lord as a form of complete surrender unto HIM.

 Chicago IL: The partnership with the City of Naperville and The National India Hub, organized COVID-19 Vaccination camp at Mall of India on March 16, 2021 from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm at 776 S, Illinois Route 59, Naperville, IL. The camp was administered by Prism Health Labs.

Harish Kolasani, the co-founder of National India Hub shared his excitement over the opening of the new location. He also announced the official launch of India Hub, a one-stop destination offering assistance on a variety of important matters to people of all the ethnicities.

Prism Health Labs has gained more and more accolades and has won another feather in its cap by bringing its mass vaccination mission to the City of Naperville. Mall of India leadership offered its prime location free of cost to help Prism achieve its goal.

The launch as well as the very first vaccination camp at this location Mall of India was graced by Congressman Bill Foster, Steve Chirico (Mayor of Naperville), Benny White (Naperville City Council), Naperville City Manager Doug Krieger with their presence. Also in attendance were Dr Samina Hijab, Dr. Imtiaz Arain MD; Dr. Vemuri Murthy, Seema Kapadia, Harish Kolasani Co-Founder of National India Hub, and Mall of India owners Vinoz Chanamolu Ajay Sunkara who is also Co-Founder of India Hub.

Congressman Bill Foster congratulated National India Hub and Prism Health Labs for the great initiative of organizing the vaccination camp. Mayor Steve Chirico praised the efforts of Dr. Mahbub Kapadia of Prism Health Labs and Mall of India owners and Omayra R Glachello IDPH Regional Health Officer for making this possible. Mayor Chirico said that he is looking forward to more and more camps like this and is very proud of the relationships and partnerships formed to make this camp possible. All the dignitaries, during their visit of the site, assured of their support and commitment to continuing these camps as more vaccinations became available. Ajay Sunkara, the Vice President of Mall of India along with his partner Vinoz Chanamolu thanked the City of Naperville for making the approval process for the vaccination camp at the Mall smooth and fast.

Dr Kapadia and his wife Seema Kapadia thanked each and every member of the team including India Hub and Mall of India teams who made the vaccination camp a huge success. Dr Kapadia mentioned how his wife Seema Kapadia and his sons have been a driving force behind all these campaigns to ensure smooth execution. Mrs Seema Kapadia is present at all the vaccination camps from the beginning till the end to ensure a safe, timely and equitable administration of the vaccine.

Dr. Benny White took great pride in being able to be present at the first vaccination camp in the great city of Naperville hoping it to be trendsetter and spearheading the upcoming camps. Dr Vemuri Murthy could not contain his happiness speaking at the vital center for the vaccination camp and appreciated the efforts of all the camp organizers for focusing their energy and sacrificing their time in order to make these initiatives successful.

Harish Kolasani extended his thanks to the Mall of India owners Vinoz Chanamolu and Ajay Sunkara for being instrumental in their support of this vaccination site by providing large space in the mall voluntarily and the mall manager Pramod Chintamaneni who helped with required arrangements. He also thanked the volunteers Laura Gaskill, Melissa Rehn, Kelly Pilleux, Sherry Podgorsky, Manisha Gore, Kim Wigge and Katie for their selfless service. The intensive care physician Dr. Imtiaz Arain and Dr Sameena thanked each and every one involved in the planning and execution of the entire camp. They also acknowledged the efforts and support of Dr Tariq Butt, President Chicago Medical Society.

Omayra R Glachello from Illinois Department of Public Health [IDPH] again proved her mettle by immaculately organizing the camp. The team also included members administering the vaccine Hemi Patel, Vaishali Shah,  and Syethia Gould. Prism Health Labs Staff included Mehbub S. Kapadia MD Prism Health Lab Executive Officer; Seema Kapadia (Wife), Spencer Howland, Spruha Shah, Harshad Patel, Amera, Aarefa. Volunteers at Registration Desk were Mohammad, Shevvy Podgorsky, Melissa Rehn and Kelly Pilleux

Harish Kolasani also appreciated the efforts of Asian Media and its  founder in creating awareness of the mass vaccination camps and locations so that everyone looking for an appointment for the vaccine is able to avail the opportunities provided by Prism Health labs through its multiple convenient and accessible locations.  Asian Media has been relentlessly covering the mass vaccination campaign run by Prism Lab with the sole purpose of community service and will continue to do this.

The National Indo-American Association for Senior Citizens stands in solidarity with the AAPI Community.

 The National Indo-American Association for Senior Citizens Inc. (NIAASC), has come out to express that they are extremely saddened by the massacre of eight innocent people, including six Asian women.

This violence comes at a time when racist attacks on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI)both verbal and physical are happening more and more often across the country, making these deaths even more painful.

Whilst condemning the abhorrent attack by the perpetrator, the Chairman Rajeshwar Prasad of NIAASC warned that hate crime committed against one community is a crime committed against every community and we must all join hands and prevent this from recurring.  President Gunjan Rastogi stated that hate crime has no place in civil society and both the Government administration and the private sector must make a joint effort to stamp out this systemic discrimination.

Our sympathies go to the families and friends of those who senselessly lost their lives in this racially charged attack. Unfortunately, racism still exists today, and it is a reminder to us all to stay vigilant. We hope this will be another eye-opener to the appropriate authorities to take immediate action so that such a tragedy never happens again.

(From Gunjan P. Rastogi, President – NIAASC)