As
President of the Indian Business Association
and on behalf of the New Jersey Federation of
Indian Associations, and the over 70 New Jersey
based Associations represented in today's parade,
I want to wish you all a very happy Independence
Day. Today, we reiterate the notion that Indian
Americans, one of the largest growing minority
groups in New Jersey, are a symbol of the best
of this great state.
The
Indian Business Association was founded to serve
our community and for the last 20 years, our
organization has done exactly that. Together
with our friends and the help of our elected
officials, the Indian Business Association has
served the Indo-American community well. We
worked with police to increase security on Oak
Tree Road. We worked with our sister organization
the Indo-American Cultural Society, to bring
Navaratri to Edison. We worked with local officials
to bring free public parking to Iselin. We worked
with political organizations in Edison to register
hundreds of members from our community to vote.
We worked with local businesses to decorate
Oak Tree during the Winter Holidays. Today we
are working with the Edison Memorial Tower Group
to make sure that this symbol of Edison endures.
I
am proud of the legacy our association is leaving
our children. One major piece of that legacy
is teaching our children the heritage from which
they come. That is what this parade is all about.
It is a reminder that we hail from the largest
democracy on the face of this earth. As Indian
Americans we should be proud of our culture,
our traditions, and our history. Because of
events like this, we, the Indian Americans living
in New Jersey, will never forget our roots.
Since
its conception, the IBA has relied upon the
dedication, commitment, and spirit of our many
volunteers and sponsors. Continuing in that
tradition, today, we are grateful to the dozens
upon dozens of volunteers, supporters, and friends,
to many to name, who have relentlessly devoted
their time, money, and energy to creating this
festival. A special thanks is warranted to my
predecessor, Mahesh Shah, our Executive Vice-President
Chandrakant Patel, and the entire Executive
Committee for all the effort they have devoted.
I also want to recognize the members of my family,
especially my wife Hanshaben, who have served
as an inspiration in all my activities. Have
a happy Independence day, and enjoy today's
parade.
