Page 26 - The Indian EYE 011521

NORTH AMERICAN Newsline JANUARY 15, 2021 | The Indian Eye 26

< sudHir ParikH, senior advisor to chairman of Board and Past President
I t is a great honor for all of us, younger and older, members of this esteemed organization with

which I have been involved since its inception 50 years ago.
It started as an India Day Parade, and has now evolved into a powerful organization that not
only spreads awareness about India, but also engages the 2nd generation youth, and works to strength-
en U.S. -India relations. The Samman Award recognizes that hard work and selfless dedication of so
many people in the FIA family. And it was most evident during the global COVID-19 crisis when FIA
stepped forward to help those affected in the U.S. and India.
Under the new leadership of our young Chairman Ankur Vaidya, we expect to go forward and
achieve bigger and better things, and as Chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media and ITV Gold, and as
Senior Advisor to FIA, I plan help make our goals a reality for this organization and our community.

sruJal ParikH, trustee & Past President >

t’s great honor to be part of Federation of Indian Associations and receiving Pravasi Samman
Award PBD 2021 by Government of India is great feeling. All hard work for last decade by Presi-
Ident, Executive team and committee members has been rewarded. FIA is not just known for the
Parade we started but also community service at grass root level, Visa camps, OCI, Passport issue,
community awareness campaign, soup kitchen. These are the significant work done in last 10 years. I
congratulate Chairman Ankur Vaidya, President Anil Bansal and entire family of FIA to let us con-
tinue our journey to next level of community service and excellence.

< dr. tHOMas aBraHaM, founder President of fia new york

n 1976, when I was elected as the Chairman of the Joint Committee of Indian Organizations, the
group was celebrating three events in a year, Republic Day of India, India Independence Day and
IGandhi Jayanti. At that time, the community was growing in the New York area with over a dozen
Indian community groups based on religion and language, which were members of the Joint Committee.
As a new immigrant community, we faced discrimination and also violence against our community. That
made us to think that the umbrella group should be much more community action oriented to take up
issues of our community in the city, state and national level. The name of the group also had to reflect
that. So, we formed the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) in early 1977. Three of us wrote the by-
laws and constitution, Dr. Ravindran Nath Guthikonda, the late attorney Michael Phulwani and myself.
I was elected as its first President in 1977. We got it incorporated in New York and was given tax except
status in 1978. I was elected again in 1978, ’79 and ’80. Three major achievements under my presidency
were hosting Prime Minister Morarji Desai in 1978, publishing of Indian Community Reference Guide
and Directory of Indian Associations in 1979 and the First Convention of Asian Indians in North Amer-
ica in 1980. As FIA President, I also gave testimony before the US Congress appointed Select Commis-
sion on Immigration in May 1980 in which we campaigned to keep the family reunification clauses.

yasH Paul sOi, vice chairman emeritus and Past President >

t is a dream come true. We, the members of the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) are really
thrilled. We celebrated 50 years of FIA in 2020, since it was in 1970 when community started cel-
Iebrating Independence Day of India with India Club of Columbia University and later formed a
Joint Committee of Indian Organizations. It was in 1977, Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) was
formed and first Executive Committee was elected (Dr Thomas Abraham, Yash Paul Soi, Late Suresh-
war Prasad Singh, J.S. Premi and Late Michael Phulwani as our official Attorney). The dream to hold
an India Day Parade came true on August 15, 1981, with support from Mayor Koch and we invited him
to lead the first India Day Parade to celebrate the Independence Day of India.
I was elected President of FIA in 1999 and dedicated the Parade to brave Jawaans of India who won the
Kargil war. We did the fundraising for heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice and FIA donated thousands
of Dollars to the Army Welfare fund. I was elected the President of FIA again in 2008 and dedicated the
Parade to Mahatma Gandhi-the Apostle of Peace. The credit of this award belongs to hundreds of vol-
unteers, Board of Directors, Founders of FIA, Presidents, Members of Executive Committees, Board of
Trustees, Sponsors who supported the New York City India Day Parade, Mayors and office of the Mayor,
especially New York City’s Finest Police officers, and above all so many Associations and innumerable
members of Indian and American communities and multiple media of the Tri-State Area of New York,
New Jersey and Connecticut. I am very confident that Our young Generation will lead Federation of In-
dian Associations to new heights. I wish the Best to the present FIA Team with Ankur Vaidya as Chair-
man of the Board of Trustees and Anil Bansal as the President of supported the Executive Committee.

www.TheIndianEYE .com