India Day Parade USA, a Conduit to Supp India Day Parade USA, a Conduit to Support Mangano Campaign?ort Mangano Campaign?

HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): Was India Day Parade USA at Hicksville on August 11 used by the organizers to support Mangano campaign? Circumstances reveal that it was. At the site of the Cultural program and the Mela, there were 30 numbered stalls. At 5.05 P.M. 8 were fund to have been vacated, with all banners and the stuff removed. Out of the 22 left, 12 carried the banner which read “Sponsored by Friends of Ed Mangano“.

The question is: Did the organizers announce at any time that political contenders may put up their advertisements? If not, is it not an unfair practice on the part of the organizers to be promoting the political interests of one man or one party whereas the India Day Parade belongs to all Indian Americans with diverse political ideologies and leanings? Aren’t the organizers guilty of betraying the trust of the Indian American community who had charged the organizers with organizing an India Day Parade which each one of them could claim as his own? Aren’t the organizers guilty of gross and most shameful discrimination? It is another matter that a Not-for-Profit organization, unless specifically allowed, cannot involve itself in political activity.

Again, many stall owners/ representatives who were interviewed by The Indian Panorama said they had handed over checks to different people connected with organizing the parade without filling in the Payee’s name. It cannot be a co-incidence that their stalls had the banner “Sponsored by Friends of Ed Mangano”. One can rightly suspect that the checks without the payee’s name were diverted by the organizers to Mangano’s campaign fund. If it is true, the organizers are guilty of betrayal of the trust of stall owners, in the first place, and, guilty of misappropriation, in the second place.

The organization that organized the India Day Parade of Hicksville is only two years old. But some people running it have a long and checkered history of foul play. They must explain to the Indian American community of Long island in particular, and the entire Indian diaspora, in general why they conducted themselves in such an unfair manner for which the entire community has become suspect in the eyes of the fair minded people.