Traders Assoc launched amidst Holi festivities
The launch of a new organisation in the midst of a riot of colour heralds a good beginning, reports PREETI JABBAL
Lately the Sandown racecourse in Melbourne has become a hub for the Indian community and is a favoured location to hold Indian festivals and events. This year again, the spring festival of Holi was celebrated amidst a lot of fanfare at the racecourse, attended by hundreds of people from all parts of Melbourne. While the crowds outside were busy playing with colours, a Holi lunch was organised in the conference room indoors co-sponsored by IPeal and ITA (Vic). The Indian Traders Association (Vic) was officially launched that afternoon by Clem Newton Brown, MP for Prahran and Victorian Leader of Opposition, Daniel Andrews.
ITA (Vic) has been formed to support trades-people by offering professional development through member interaction, to raise cultural awareness of Indian products and culture among the Australian community, to create employment opportunities in Australia through business growth and to provide training in line with the Australian workforce rules and regulations. The Association is also expected to encourage and support new entrepreneurs and businesses by providing opportunities to network with people from similar fields. The objectives of ITA include community service and political awareness, among other things.
Also present at the launch were Mr Rakesh Kawra Indian Vice Consul, Neil Angus (MP for Forest Hill), Jude Perera (MP from Cranbourne), Nitin Gupta ministerial adviser to Liberal party, Ipeal and AIII executive members and Miss Earth Australia (water) Rima Das. As part of the event, Ipeal also recognized the efforts of a few individuals within the community. Alap and Dhara Patel, Bhavesh Lakhatiya and Priyanka Valand were awarded community service awards for offering help to the 25 international students who suffered considerable loss after their Hawthorn home was destroyed in a fire. Sujata Kumar was also felicitated for teaching English to new migrants for the last 15 years in Melbourne.
The Holi event in Sandown was organised by the Australian Indian Innovations Inc. (AIII) who also celebrate Diwali on the same premises every year. The popular music that had the crowd on their feet for most of the afternoon was sponsored by Rhythm & Spice and Oorja Nights. The atmosphere was decidedly carnival-like, complete with wonderful weather and tasty treats from multiple stalls that catered for a variety of food. Holi is gaining increasing popularity among other Australian communities and many of them joined in the colour ambushes and dancing to the reverberating bhangra music, with family and friends. This year’s Holi was an exuberant celebration of life filled with boisterous fun and bright colours.
