25 groups come together to host the event.
By The American Bazaar Staff
WASHINGTON, DC: The Indian American community in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area will celebrate India’s 66th Republic Day on January 25, 2015, at George Marshall High School in Falls Church, VA.
The three-hour event, which will begin at 3 pm, is expected to be one of the largest Republic Day celebrations held in the area to date, according to the organizers.
The theme of the celebration is “Vasudhaiva kutumbakam,” which means “the world is one family.”
Top Indian diplomats, a number of US officials, state and county leaders from Virginia and Maryland, and prominent members of the Indian American community are expected to attend the event.
“This year’s Republic Day has a special meaning for Indian Americans, with President Obama attending the Republic Day parade in Delhi on January 26th as the chief guest,” said Gisela Ghani, the president of the National Council of Asian Indian Associations (NCAIA), one of the main groups behind the event. “In keeping with that, all the prominent Indian American organizations in the area have come together to make this a special event.”
Besides NCAIA, 24 other Indian American organizations are part of the committee that is hosting the event, including the National Federation of Indian Associations, Global Organization of People of Indian Origin, the India Cultural Coordination Committee, the Gujarati Samaj, the Capital Area Telugu Society, the Kerala Association of Greater Washington, DC, the Kerala Cultural Society, Kairali of Baltimore, Tamil Sangam, Kaveri Kannada Association, the Assam Association of North America and North America Manipur Association.
“We have made a concerted effort to reach out different Indian American groups in the area, including the Indian students enrolled in schools here,” said Benoy Thomas, one of the key members of the organizing committee. “The fact that more than 40 people representing various organizations are involved in the planning committee is a reflection of that.”
“George Marshall was selected as the venue because it is a convenient location for most people in the capital area,” said Alka Batra, chairperson of the event’s cultural committee. “Efforts are under way to put together a cultural show that will showcase the Indian culture as a whole. There will also be programs representing the Indian American and American culture.”
The next planning meeting is on January 3, 2015, said Thomas, adding that it is an open forum and everybody can attend it. It will be held at Ganapati Foods, located at 15124 Frederick Road, Rockville, MD.