During a historic celebration of the 68th India Republic Day commemoration, Supervisor Anthony J. Santino, Town Clerk Nasrin Ahmad and the entire Hempstead Town Board welcomed the Indian American Forum, local Indian-American residents and outstanding performers and speakers on Januury 26th. The cultural event commemorates the anniversary of India becoming a republic after declaring independence from British rule. It is the largest event of its kind on Long Island.
“We are proud to celebrate the beautiful culture and heritage of the great nation of India, specifically the many Indian-Americans who have enriched our local communities and contributed greatly to our quality of life for many generations,” stated Santino. “The Town of Hempstead is honored to host a joyous celebration of India Republic Day, and we thank the many Indian-American neighbors who came out to support this wonderful event.”
Santino presented the prestigious Town of Hempstead India Republic Day Award to honorees Neeta Bhasin and Sunita Manjrekar for their decades of hard work and dedication to the local Indian-American community. Patriotic vocal performances presented by Jyoti Gupta and her group, and also were beautiful dances presented by Shilpa Jhurani and her students. Present at the evet were Miss India New York, Miss Teen New York, Mrs. Indi a New York and several other beauty pageant winners
Neeta is the founder of ASB Communications, a full-service international multicultural advertising and marketing organization. She also established Event Guru Worldwide, which produces one of Times Square’s biggest events, Diwali at Times Square. What’s more, Neeta has a prominent role as a television personality on ITV, the oldest South Asian TV network in the United States.
Sunita is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor with more than 17 years of experience and proven leadership, specializing in the field of substance abuse and workforce development. Additionally, Sunita works as the Director of Employment Programs at the Nassau County Department of Social Services, developing innovative and creative programs to help the public assistance population achieve self-sufficiency and economic independence.
“I am proud to partner with Supervisor Santino in hosting the town’s largest India Republic Day ceremony,” said Ahmad. “The Indian-American community’s dedication to our township is one of the attributes that makes our town such a great place in which to live, work and raise a family.”
Santino also welcomed to the event Tejinder (TJ) S. Anand, CPA, CGMA, who served as the keynote speaker. Tejinder is a partner with the firm of T.S. Anand & Company CPAs, P.C. The New York firm has more than 25 years of professional experience in accounting, taxation and financial audits, specifically tailored to the not-for-profit organizations.
The ceremony, which was co-sponsored by the Indian American Forum, also offered many cultural features including a number of traditional Indian songs and dances. Akbar Restaurant provided Indian delicacies for attendees to enjoy after the ceremony.
“I would like to thank the Indian American Forum, honorees Neeta Bhasin and Sunita Manjrekar, keynote speaker Tejinder S. Anand and all our distinguished guests and talented performers for taking part in this annual celebration of India Republic Day,” concluded Santino. “We are proud to join together with our township’s Indian-American community to mark this important milestone in world history.”
