ELECTION 99
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Dallas-Ft Worth Group Donates $ 51,000 To Jawans

A P Kamath

The president of the India Association of North Texas, which recently raised $ 51,000 for its Jai Jawan fund, is a little unhappy.

This is reportedly the highest amount collected for the Kargil cause in an American city, and the money was handed over to ambassador Naresh Chandra at a function at the Mar Thoma church in Dallas recently. But the organizers had expected to hand over a bigger amount.

"We could have raised four times that money," says T P Mathew, president of IANT, a 38-year-old organization.

"We started a little late and by the time contributions started coming in, the word began to spread that the war was going to end," he says. "And then many people believed money was pouring in for the cause from many other associations, and they felt complacent about donating."

IANT, the umbrella for 40 Indian American organizations around Dallas, works under the aegis of National Federation of India Associations. It raised $ 135,000 for the Maharashtra earthquake relief seven years ago, and $ 37,000 for Gujarat flood relief a few months ago.

Fund-raising is one of the many activities of IANT that also seeks to bring together 50,000 people of Indian origin in Dallas-Fort Texas area for cultural and political events.

"On one hand, we try to get our people realize the importance of mainstreaming and taking part in American politics," says Mathew, a real estate agent and computer programmer. "On the other hand, we want them to cherish and preserve their heritage and celebrate it as proud Indian Americans."

IANT has made several efforts to get the community volunteer in voter registration drive, and also make its presence felt in local and national elections.

"The response has to much better," says Mathew. "We should not think that by giving away a few thousand dollars to a political campaign we have made our presence felt. It is essential for us to realize the importance of volunteer work, and network with other community organizations."

He says IANT will make more efforts to instill the importance of political participation.

Meanwhile, it takes pride in the two annual events it organizes to mark India's Independence and Republic days.

The Anand Bazar event to celebrate the Independence Day event drew over 15,000 people this year, and was budgeted at $ 150,000. There were stalls selling -- among other things -- Goan fish curries, puja items, curry powders, religious literature, and movie cassettes.

"We also had representatives of major investment firms offering their services," he says. "This certainly means we are taken seriously as a community."

The Republic Day event offers an entire show by children. "We put at least 300 children on the stage, and they perform a wide variety of things including classic dances to singing songs from the new movies."

"This is one of the best showcases for second generation Indian American kids across America," Mathew says.

For further information about India Association and its activities, contact T P Mathew at 214-328-9769 or 972-234-IANT or visit www.IANT.org. If you would like to post any information about forthcoming events or community happenings, please email the details to bettypais@aol.com

Information and photographs can also be mailed to Betty Pais at 87-52 108th Street, 2nd Floor, Richmond Hill, NY 11418-2229, USA.

Tell us what you think of this information