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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                                  APRIL 10, 2026    |  The Indian Eye 22

                 Mehta Family Trust pledges $5 Mn

                        for Indo-US Friendship Centre

                                  Amb. Binaya Srikanta Pradhan                    Ashok Sancheti’s Rajasthan Ratna Award was received on his behalf by Haridas Kotewala

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            Mandir and a longstanding supporter
                                                                                                                  of  the  Jaipur  Foot  prosthetics  pro-
            New York, NY
                                                                                                                  gramme and Apna Ghar Ashram. All
                  he  Rajasthan  Association  of                                                                  honours were presented by Ambassa-
                  North America on Sunday cel-                                                                    dor Pradhan as the Chief Guest.
            Tebrated  Rajasthan  Diwas  and                                                                           Bhandari used the occasion to
            Holi Sneh Milan at the Indian Consul-                                                                 praise  Ambassador  Pradhan’s  deci-
            ate in New York with cultural festivities                                                             sion  to  keep  the  New  York  Consul-
            and  major  philanthropic  announce-                                                                  ate  open  365  days  a  year,  serving  a
            ments, including a landmark pledge of                                                                 jurisdiction of more than two million
            over five million US dollars to estab-                                                                Indians. He noted that, following his
            lish an Indo-US Friendship Centre in                                                                  address at a recent diaspora welcome
            the city, it was announced at a diaspo-                                                               event in Boston attended by 66 organ-
            ra gathering celebrating the 77th Ra-                                                                 isations, the newly appointed Boston
            jasthan Diwas and Holi Sneh Milan.                                                                    Consul  General,  S.  Raghuram,  im-
                The contribution, from the Me-                                                                    mediately announced his consulate
            hta Family Trust founded by New                                                                       would adopt the same policy.
            York-based businessman KK Mehta     Dr. Narendra Kukar receiving the Rajasthan Ratna Award, in the presence of Ambassador   Bhandari called on all Indian con-
            and his wife Chandra Mehta, was an-        Binaya Srikanta Pradhan and RANA Vice President Dr. Sharad Kothari  sulates, wherever needed, to follow
            nounced by Rajasthan Association of                                                                   New York’s example.
            North  America  (RANA)  President  with KK Mehta at a previous RANA   the  association’s  highest  honour,  in   The  gathering  also  heard  that
            Prem Bhandari at the Indian Consul-  event, describing the centre as a means   recognition of their philanthropic con-  a  Jaipur  Foot  prosthetics  camp  will
            ate.  The  planned  centre  would  fea-  to preserve Indian culture and heritage   tributions in both the United States  be  held  in  Gujarat,  sponsored  by
            ture a Rajasthan Bhawan, a Yoga and  for future generations of the diaspora.  and India.              BRUHUD NY Seniors under the
            Ayurveda Centre, a Convention Cen-    “I really feel that the Indian com-  Among  the  recipients  were  leadership of its President Ajay Patel,
            tre,  and  a  Social  Centre  for  seniors,  munity from Rajasthan have been able   Dr Samin Sharma, described as a  in memory of his late father Shashi-
            aiming to serve as a cultural and com-  to maintain the tradition, have upheld   world-renowned interventional car-  kant Bhai, a founder of one of New
            munity hub for the Indian diaspora in  the tradition, passed it on to the next   diologist, alongside Dr Narinder Ku-  York’s largest senior organisations.
            New York.                         generation,” CG Pradhan told the di-  kar, Dr Raj Bansal of Florida, Ashok   Last  year’s  camp  was  organised
                “We want every Indian who walks  aspora members.                Sancheti and Jugal Kishore Ladda. All  under the guidance of former Foreign
            through those doors -- whether they   Mehta’s philanthropic record ex-  five were also appointed as Patrons of  Secretary  Harsh  Vardhan  Shringla,
            came here fifty years ago or fifty days  tends back to the Covid-19 pandemic,   RANA, which describes itself as the  whom  Bhandari  praised  as  a  long-
            ago-- to feel that Rajasthan, and India,  during which he offered 100 rooms at   largest and most prestigious global or-  term supporter of the initiative.
            never left them,” said Prem Bhandari,  his Times Square hotel to students in   ganisation of the Rajasthani diaspora.  The celebration concluded with
            president of RANA.                need and accommodated the entire      A sixth recipient, Nand Todi, was  flower  Holi  festivities,  dance  perfor-
                The  project  is  the  brainchild  of  crew of the Vande Bharat Mission-2   recognised for his recent donation of  mances by RANA ladies and children,
            Ambassador  Binaya  Srikanta  Prad-  Air India repatriation flight.  one million dollars toward a shelter  and a poetry recital.
            han, the Consul General of India in   At the event, seven individuals   home  for  the  homeless  in  Philadel-
            New  York,  who  first  raised  the  idea  were conferred the Rajasthan Ratna,   phia. Todi is the founder of Bharatiya   Continued on next page... >>

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