Ald Joe Moore (fifth from left) Consul Vishwas Sakpal (second from left) with Balwinder Singh (fourth from left) and community members
CHICAGO: The craze for the game cricket is not limited to the people in Indian sub-continent. It equally affects all those hailing from the Indian sub- continent whether they are Indians, Pakistanis Sri Lankans or Bangladeshis. Right from the day the first ball was bowled in the month-long tournament to the last delivery when the final was played between two Asian countries – India and Sri Lanka – at the famous Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, many had sleepless nights watching the day and night matches telecast from the sub-continent.
The culmination was the final but not so in Chicago. Indian Americans decided to hail the Indians for their decades after victory and announced hosting celebrations at North Shore banquet hall on Mahatma Gandhi Marg – Devon Avenue on Friday April 8 in a little unique way – making it a truly community affair and not an individual or one organization affair.
The lead was taken by Balwinder Singh, a front ranking community activist. The entire business community on Devon and surrounding suburbs besides members of the Indian community at large decided not only to participate but contribute in their own modest or grand way to the celebrations.
Restaurants on the Devon Avenue sent food items, the Indian owned liquor stores offered wines while others offered monetary contributions. The culmination was when the Indian Consul General Ms Mukta Tomar not only decided to join the celebration but induced members of the Consulate also to come and participate. Jude Crasto of Air India was there along with his wife Manju Crasto and there were 150 plus members of the community – class, creed, caste, religion language no bar – flocking to the Banquet hall to share their happiness and joy.
The good part of the near three and half hours of celebrations was that there were no formal speeches and everybody would mingle and interact with each other without inhibition and reservations.
Ms. Mukta Tomar expressed her joy being there and offered congratulations to the Indian team and the Indians gathered there for recognizing the Indian victory. Among dignitaries were Alderman Joe Moore who came with his graceful wife and Indian Consul Vishwas Sakpal who is now elevated to the Consul General position with a transfer to Russia.
The musical program was presented by Saif Ali, Sahil, Shaila Khedkar, Anil Sharma and Vinita Gulabani. Smt. Vandana Jhingan, TV Asia community news anchor, welcomed the guests and congratulated all for India’s historic victory. She pointed that the celebration idea was mooted at short notice but it got the Chicago Indian community all under one roof. That only proved that the victory had thrilled all Indians, both at home and abroad.
AQ Siddiqui & Ramesh Soparawala
