Mineola, NY- On August 12th, 2020, the Office of Asian American Affairs hosted a virtual event to celebrate India’s Independence Day. This event was hosted by County Executive Laura Curran and Executive Director Farrah Mozawalla. It celebrated the independence of India and the heritage of our Indian-American Nassau residents.
The event was held via Zoom and over 100 attendees were present. Special guests included the Consul General Mr. Randhir Kumar Jaiswal of the Consulate General of India in New York and New York State Senator Kevin Thomas.
The virtual event was organized through the efforts of the host committee members Indu Jaiswal, Mohinder Singh, Dr. Bobby Kumar, Shashi Malik, Mukesh Modi, Jyoti Bhatia Gupta, and Pink Jaggi. Sponsoring organizations included the Indian American Forum, India Association of Long Island, IDP USA, and Long Island Ladies Club.
The virtual event started off with the playing of the American and Indian national anthem. Attendees then enjoyed the dance performances of residents followed by a video from community members wishing all a happy Indian Independence Day. The Office of Asian American Affairs also presented citations to eight honorees to recognize their special efforts to their local community.
These eight honorees were: Kuljeet Karishma Ahluwalia, Mukesh Modi, Siddhi Vaishnav, Jessica Kalra, Quddus Ahmed, Flora Parekh, Prakash Shilagani, and Darshan K. Nangia. In addition, the dome of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building was lit in the colors of the Indian flag. During the midst of a pandemic, we were pleased to be able to commemorate this significant event for the Indian community. To see videos and pictures of the beautiful event, visit the Nassau County Office of Asian American Affairs Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NassauCountyOAA.
