Hicksville, NY: Last year as part of Gandhi@150, Consulate General of India in New York in partnership with Long Island based Gandhian organization Shanti Fund with the Indian community’s help created the Gandhi Peace Garden with 150 trees from 50 US states in the Old Westbury campus of SUNY. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Gandhi 150 finale at the Peace Garden on October 1 was attended by Consul General Randhir Jaiswal as well other dignitaries and representatives of Shanti Fund. CG Jaiswal also paid his respects at the life-size statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the foyer of Suffolk County’s executive building, in Hauppauge, Long Island.
The events, according to Shanti Fund’s Arvind Vora, were widely covered by the media with The South Asian Times making it front page news. They were broadcast live by the Consulate on its Facebook page with a viewership of 3000 people. In the evening on October 2, the enhanced birthday celebration of Gandhi was on Zoom, thanks to Dr. Narendra Bhalodkar and Paresh Raval. ITV on its evening program covered the event with a 12-minute segment, anchored by Ashok Vyas.
After Amb. Jaiswal’s return from Hauppauge, a luncheon at Chennai Dosa was hosted by Forsythe Media Group, publisher of The South Asian Times. Kamlesh Mehta welcomed the guests and highlighted Shanti Fund’s dedication to disseminate Gandhi’s teachings among thousands of students on Long Island. Amb. Jaiswal was felicitated with a bouquet by community leader and publisher of Hum Hindustani, Jasbir Jay Singh. Nilima Madan, President of Rotary Club of Hicksville South, presented a bouquet to Arvind Vora, chief volunteer of Shanti Fund. The honoree of Shanti Fund Jayantibhai Shah was felicitated by Harish Thakkar, President AIA-NY.
