QUEENS, NY (TIP): The 9th India Day Parade organized under the auspices of the Floral Park – Bellerose Indian Merchants Association (F-BIMA) on the 78th Indian Independence Day, celebration was colorful with the tricolor. As the parade started at 268 – Langdale Street at Floral Park Hillside Avenue on Saturday, August 17 afternoon and reached the stage set up on Little Neck Parkway, the entire neighborhood was filled with patriots flying the Indian tricolor and the American flag. The Floral Park atmosphere reverberated with waves of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” chants.

As activists carrying banners of various organizations and floats beautifully decorated with the Indian flag moved slowly down the Hillside Ave road, the parade was greeted warmly by local people and many Indians lined up on both sides of the road. The front row of the parade was marked by police horses and policemen of the New York Police Department, a police motorcycle troop, and members of the “Desi Society Police Association” of uniformed Indian-origin employees of the New York Police, carrying the Indian and American flags.

The public assembly began around 2 pm when all the parade participants filled the open-air stage on the northwest side of the Little Neck Parkway. Many elected officials and community leaders, grand celebrity Kollywood film actor Vijay Vishwa, organizing committee members Chairman Board of Directors Hemant Shah, Vice Chairman Koshy O Thomas, Association President Dincil George, General Secretary Mary Philip, Master of Ceremonies Asha Mampilly, and Ujjwala Shah and Parade committee members took lead in making the event a grand success. The stage was filled with artists presenting art shows, Singer, Actor, and film producer Sabarinath and team members presented the song and dance mela, and the gathering was filled with enthusiasm.

Koshy O Thomas who is well known in Eastern Queens New York, introduced to the audience all the elected officials who came as guests on the stage,.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Indian Consulate Community Affairs Consul Pragya Singh, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, US Congressman Tom Souzzi, New York State Assemblyman Ed Braunstein, New York State Senator Kevin Thomas, New York State Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti, Representative of New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, Deputy director of Asian Affairs Sibu Nair, Town of North Hempstead Town Supervisor Ragini Srivastava and many community leaders participated in the public meeting and felicitated the gathering and highlighted the importance of celebrating Independence and practicing freedom in the adopted land.
All leaders extolled the valuable services and contributions that the Indian immigrant community has been rendering to New York State and to this country.

Patriotic dance performed by the members of the Indian Nurses Association, dance performed by the Senior Women from India Home, art performance by the members of the Gujarati Samaj, dance program by the Spanish community and song mela performed by singer Sabarinath and his team entertained the crowds.
(Based on a press release)