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USHA’s Vande Bharatam dinner celebrates India’s rising economic power and cultural heritage

BY JYOTHSNA HEGDE

Photos by Magic Dust Photography

Atlanta, GA, July 12, 2024: Amidst an ever-evolving global scenario, projections indicate that India is poised to surpass Japan and Germany, positioning itself as the world’s third-largest economy by 2027. With a consistent history of 10-12 percent USD CAGR over the last 10 and 20 years, India is now the 5th largest equity market, and its market capitalization will likely touch $10 trillion by 2030, according to global brokerage house Jefferies.

Highlighting India’s emergence as a significant economic and geopolitical power, its rich heritage and diverse cultural tapestry, The United States Hindu Alliance (USHA) launched a new initiative under the banner of Vande Bharatam Dinner in Atlanta on June 30th to promote greater awareness and understanding about the changing Hindu society and a rising Bharat.

The evening opened with the traditional invocation of Lord Ganesha and lamp lighting ceremony, followed by the national anthems of the US and India. In his welcome address, Sudhir Agarwal, event Chair, elaborated the purpose of the dinner and the mission of USHA to an audience of 225 invited guests. “USHA is organizing Vande Bharatam (Salute to India) events across America to celebrate Bharat – its people, history, culture and contributions,” he said.

The event was graced by Honorable Ramesh Babu Laxmanan, Consul General of India in Atlanta, Dr. Alveda King, niece of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., several elected representatives, diplomats, CEO’s, and community leaders.

“While the world is aging, Indian is turning young,” Hon. Laxmanan said in his address, highlighting one of India’s biggest strengths – youth. “Bharat matters,” the Consul General said because of its large population largely median age and English-speaking, urbanization, and democratic values. Highlighting India’s progress in various fields, including space, manufacturing, information technology, he underscored India’s ambitious plan to become the third largest economy within the next few years. Underlining robust India-US strategic partnership with a focus on new areas of collaboration in energy technologies, healthcare, and education, he applauded USHA’s initiative to create awareness and build bridges that facilitate these partnerships.

“India is beautiful, and yet it’s expressed in each of you tonight,” Dr. Alveda King said in her remarks. Thanking USHA for organizing the event, she said “The world can be a challenging place, and there are things that have to be better everywhere, but when we take just a little time ourselves and come together to do what we’re doing tonight, things can unite and become better.” Sharing some memories of the family’s close ties with India,  she touched upon the historic relationship between Dr. King and Mahatma Gandhi and the inspiration of non-violence Dr. King drew from Gandhi. “I want to encourage you and remind you nonviolence is still the best. Gandhi has been right about that.”

Speakers at the gathering included Shawn Still, Georgia State Senator, Narender Reddy, Republican candidate for the Georgia House and Ashwin Ramaswami, Democratic candidate for the Georgia Senate.

USHA’s National President, Gokul Kunnath, spoke about three characteristics of India, namely its democracy, diversity, and Dharma. He shed light on the recently held elections, the largest democratic exercise in human history. The uniqueness of the 2024 elections was that every political party was happy with the results, an unusual occurrence in any country. He further explained in detail about the diversity of ancient civilizations and how diversity is the best evidence for the existence of real freedom in any society. Dharma, he emphasized, is the greatest contribution of Hindus to the world and therefore India has never been known for violations of human rights, persecutions, or genocides by those who embraced Dharma. On the contrary, he noted, despite 1200 years of brutal occupation, India has become a role model for the whole world. “The idea of India is unique in the world because it is inherently inclusive, and inclusivity is scripturally mandated for Hindus.”

Shri Balabadra Das, a prominent ISKCON leader of Atlanta, also spoke about the place of Bharat in the heart of every Hindu. He also appreciated the work of USHA in bringing people from diverse communities together.

Several prominent leaders of the community were felicitated at the event. Dr. Deen Bandhu Chandora, the founder of the Vedic Mandir in Lilburn and the author of numerous books on Hindu Dharma, Dr. Sujatha Reddy and Dr. Bhagirath Majmudar were recipients of USHA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Sujatha Reddy is a past President of the Hindu Temple of Atlanta, a founding member of USHA and well-known humanitarian. She had organized numerous health fairs in the region helping tens of thousands of patients from all communities. Dr. Bhagirath Majmudar is a long-time resident of Atlanta and had worked as a professor of Medicine at Emory University. He is a great scholar of Sanskrit and had officiated more than 400 Hindu weddings across the country.

Dr. Sreeni Gangasani, a practicing cardiologist and former President of the Georgia Association of Physicians from India received USHA’s Leadership Award. He is the current Chairman of the Georgia Composite Medical Board, which oversees the licensing of physicians in the state of Georgia.

The Sanatana Dharma Award was given to Shree Shakti Mandir of Atlanta for its unwavering commitment towards protection of Hindu interests and Sanatana Dharma in America. Shakti Mandir is one of the largest Hindu temples in North America. More than a million devotees have visited the temple since its establishment. The first ever meeting of USHA was held at the Shakti Mandir.

Performances at the event included exquisite dances by students from local dance schools such as Kalaashram USA, Sri Performing Arts, and Nritya Natya Kala Bharti, captivating the audience with their traditional performances.

The event’s key organizers included Sudhir Agarwal, Swati Agarwal, Uday Gopinath, Mitesh Patel, Prakash Srivastava, Neetu Singh, Rupa Kramadhati, Neeraj Garg, Sandhya Garg, Saurabh Agrawal, and Swayam Sarkar, along with many youth volunteers. The event was supported by local community organizations and sponsors like Patel Brothers, Walia Hospitality, and Fly My Style Travels. Magicdust Photography provided photography, videography, and audio-visual services. Event emcees included Bhrushira Vyas and Shreya Sunil.

USHA is a grassroots, non-partisan, tax-exempt organization of Hindus in America, dedicated to protecting and promoting Hindu interests worldwide and fostering good relations through various projects and initiatives.

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