Keerthi Ravoori
CHICAGO: The burgeoning Telugu community across Chicago land area pulled together to welcome Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in one of its kind felicitation at Yellow Box Church in Plainfield, a Chicago suburb last week.
Twenty-one Telugu organizations across Chicago land area worked hand in glove to make the event a real historic one. Organizers under the leadership of Hema Kanuru and team were ecstatic when each organization from Telugu community took up the task and coordinated their efforts to leave a lasting impression of a life time.
Vice President Venkiah Naidu commended the efforts of the NRI Telugu community for bridging the gap between India and US and hailed the Telugu community as ‘Telugu velugulu’. The Vice President encouraged the NRI Telugu community to promote mother tongue at home and lauded Manabadi volunteers for their valiant efforts in this field.
He reminded the audience that India has always been a peace loving country and a true embodiment of the principles of ‘vasudhaikakutumbam’ and ‘sarve Jana sukhinobhavanthu’. Felicitated on such a grand scale upon completion of his one year tenure as a constitutional authority, Shri Naidu Garu observed that he was indebted to the entire Telugu community.
Shri Venkaiah Naidu requested Indian Diaspora to preserve the rich cultural heritage of India and family values. In his own words ‘Indian civilization is very old and supreme and has passed the baton onto the world on many fronts whether it be literary, math or astrological fields. Religion is the way you pray and culture is a way of life. Zero was invented by an Indian. He added that if
there was no zero, the world wouldn’t have progressed any further.
Yoga initially born in India has now become the new way of life in every corner around the globe. India with a whopping 65% of population under the age of 35, is the youngest nation on earth. With the current high economic growth rate and being a global economic force, he called upon the diaspora to come and invest heavily in India.
Prominent among those participating from the Telugu community were : Telugu Association of North America, America Telugu Association, North America Telugu Society, North America Telugu Association, Telangana Association of North America, American Telangana Association, Telugu Association of Greater Chicago, Tri State Telugu Association, Chicago Telugu Association, Chicago Andhra Association, Chicago Telangana Association, Indian Association of Greater Chicago, Telangana Association of North America and American Progressive Telugu Association.
Madhu Patel adds:
FIA Trustee Iftekhar Shareef greets Indian VP
It was a memorable moment for Chicagoans to have Vice President of India Shri M. Venkiah Naidu in Chicago. Dinner reception was hosted collectively by ATA, TANA and 21 other Telugu associations. “It was a great pride for us to receive, send off and honor our Vice President on behalf of (TANA-Telangana),” said Iftekhar Shareef, a former President of FIA and now a FIA Trustee, besides being a prominent leader of Indian community.
