Supporters of India Pavilion 2015 (Alphabetic by Last Name)
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India Association of Manitoba presents INDIA 1965 - 2015 Serving the Community 1 2015 Designed & Printed by PrintPro 204.889.3030 2 India Association of Manitoba (founded 1965) P.O. Box 1794, Winnipeg, MB R3C 3R1 Message from Founding Member It is my special privilege as the founding member of India Association of Manitoba to welcome visitors to India Pavilion of Folklorama-2015. This year, India Association of Manitoba Inc. is fifty years young. We take note of the journey to date and celebrate its achievements. The Association is the longest serving organization –as a hub and a bridge- providing with a forum for and working to meet the needs of our members at the given time. Responding to the change context and time, the Association has shifted from preservation of culture, tradition and language to one that promotes the same. As you partake in the offerings of the Pavilion and peruse this magazine, you will note that the dynamism of the Indo-Canadian community and its desire to contribute to the larger society. Taking this cue, India Association of Manitoba has assumed the additional role of bridge and/or connector to the larger community. It is a matter of pride, in partnership with the University of Winnipeg; we together have established the India Centre that focuses on academic, business and community excellence. Through the Centre, the community has taken the initiative of engaging and working with other organizations and groups- among the latter, of particular pride are the one with First Nations. For us, India Pavilion and Folklorama is more than just the “meet and greet”. It is a starting point to know and appreciate each other. This is a necessary condition for relationships and understanding which leads to collaborations and partnerships. However, this time, come and experience the many colours and splendors that India has to offer. I thank the great effort and hard work undertaken by the committed organizers, performers and volunteers who always ensure a successful Pavilion. This effort is particularly special as India Association of Manitoba Inc. marks its 50th year. Atish Maniar Dr. Atish Maniar 3 Journeys... Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council DOTC@40: 1974-2014 Congratulates India Association of Manitoba IAM@50: 1965 - 2015 4 India Association of Manitoba (founded 1965) P.O. Box 1794, Winnipeg, MB R3C 3R1 Message from President It is my honour as President of the India Association of Manitoba to serve its members and the larger Indo-Canadian community. I stand on the shoulders of past presidents of our association who have served with great commitment and dedication. This year, India Association of Manitoba marks its 50th year. Established in 1965, it remains the longest serving organization among the Indo-Canadian communities of Manitoba. India Association of Manitoba Inc. is about the celebration of India and its diverse streams of splendors. In this capacity, it is a hub or a meeting place where India’s rich diversity, cultures and regions converge. The richness of India is much greater than the sum of its parts. We acknowledge the role and support from the various cultural and/or regional organizations that serve the larger Indo-Canadian community. India Association is about showcasing the Indo-Canadian community. Members of our community are participating and contributing in economic as well as political domains in Manitoba. Together, the Pavilion and the India Magazine illustrate the strength and vibrancy of the Indo-Canadian community. As you peruse the magazine in your hands, you will get a sense and appreciation of the remarkable journey of the past 50 years and, it is always ongoing. India Association is about enhancing relationships and understandings between our two countries - Canada and India. At the cusp of its fiftieth year, in 2013, India Association and the University of Winnipeg joined hands to establish The India Centre- Academic, Business & Community Excellence. This is where the “academy meets the community” with the common objective of enhancing and strengthening relationships- between Canada and India. I wish to thank all members of the Board of Directors who work so tirelessly. It is after all a voluntary effort. Even more deserving of our appreciation and respect are the spouses and families of our Board of Directors. While we are working for the Association, they hold the fort at home. We thank all our supporters- volunteers, performers and sponsors and, contributors of articles in the magazine. The articles present personal views of the articles that are not endorsed by the India Association of Manitoba Inc. We also appreciate the support India Association receives from Manitoba Ethno-cultural Community Support Program. Finally, I thank Charisma Restaurant (whose food you will no doubt try) as they remain an integral part of the India Pavilion. Hardev Sandhu President Ph: 204-990-8749 | email: [email protected] 5 INDIA ASSOCIATION OF MANITOBA Custodians Atish Maniar Madhukar Gupta Adarsh Bahri Amerjit Dhillon Chair Board of Directors Hardev Sandhu Prashant Tipnis Deepak Kumar Hasmita Trivedi Aman Rai Surekha Joshi President Vice President Treasurer / Finance Secretary Jt. Secretary / Entertainment Past President Anupam Sharma Inderjeet Roopra Smita Gupta Aarti Sharma Pravin Hingwala Bal Swaroop Sharma Director / Sponsorship Director Director Director/Co-Chair Culinary Director /Cultural Display Director Daljit Kainth Manish Pandey Timmy Sharma Vidhi Modha Shivani Trivedi Ajay Kumar Director / Coordinator Admissions Chair/Group Tour Co-Chair VIP & Group Tour Co-Chair VIP & Group Tour Bar Chair Ambassadors Amar Arora Simran Roopra Shrey Gupta Tanya Sagar Amerin Rai Kusum Sharma Volunteer Chair Female Youth Ambassador Male Youth Amabassador Female Adult Ambassador Male Adult Ambassador Food Chair 6 INDIA PAVILION Message from Pavilion Coordinator Welcome to the India Pavilion! The Board of Directors, Members, Volunteers and Sponsors are proud to be part of Folklorama. India is truly sub-continental in nature as it encompasses diversity at all levels- cultural, religious, regional and linguistic. This diversity finds expression in all aspects food, dance and music: the classic, folk and the modern co-exist simultaneously. There is much to choose from these rich offerings. For our visitor, the Pavilion is an opportunity to experience both the diverse offerings from India and, the hospitality of the community. Experience and enjoy the food- there is much to choose from. Then, visit the cultural display booths that bring for us all the regional diversity. Having “toured” India, sit back and enjoy an equally diverse range of entertainment. Then, there is an opportunity for all to do some shopping. Get yourself photographed wearing the ethnic saree or turban. India Pavilion is among the most repeated. All in one package! At India Pavilion, we have energetic and passionate volunteers who spend countless hours in preparation and running of all aspects of the Pavilion- culture, entertainment and food. This is only made possible because of our volunteers. I take this opportunity to thank each one of these dedicated volunteers. We also thank our parent organization India Association of Manitoba for providing the necessary support. At the Pavilion, over the years, we have sought to set very high standards in terms of cuisine, entertainment, cultural display and of course exceptional hospitality. This year is no exception. We thank the repeat visitors and promise the first time visitors to provide enough incentive to keep on visiting every year. Thank you from us Daljit Kainth Ramandeep Grewal Rajvinder Singh Sarkaria Pavilion Coordinator Asst. Coordinator Asst. Coordinator 7 8 India Association of Manitoba President’s Report for 2014 By: Hardev Sandhu Members of our Association and Community, welcome to the Annual General Meeting of the India Association. It is an opportunity for us all to take stock of where we have been, where we are and, where your Association heads for the future. As I convey the activities undertaken by the India Association of Manitoba Inc., I would like for us all to keep the following in mind. India Association, established in 1965, it is the longest serving organization seeking to meet the needs of our community- the Indo- Canadian community. We see a three-fold mandate for the Association- 1) Celebrate and promote India; 2) Enhance the relationship and understandings between Canada and India and 3) Showcase the contributions of our community to the larger society. Last, but least, India Association also evolves with the changing needs and times. 2014 was an exciting year for all of us. We can say at the cusp of our 50th year, the Association undertook some major steps towards charting a future direction. This work is built upon the foundations of the solid work that has been undertaken by the past Presidents and Boards of Directors. At the outset, your Board of Directors is extremely proud of its main accomplishment- the India Centre: Academic, Business and Community Excellence- established in partnership with the University of Winnipeg. The Centre, based in the Faculty of Business and Economics, provides the community with the platform and institutional setting in which to work in line with the mandate of the India Association. This is an excellent partnership that allows us –the partners- to leverage each others’ strengths. Here, the community meets the academy to work towards to ensure that the Indian stream of culture and tradition contributes to the larger Canadian society. Listed below are some major activities that were undertaken for the year 2014. 1. India Pavilion at Folklorama This is our flagship event. As in past years, this is a highly successful event that encompasses our mandate. The 7-day event brings together and showcases India’s diversity and regions and, the contributions of the Indo-Canadian community. Dedicated and committed volunteers play along with our sponsors and supporters make this event happen.