India Independence Day
Federation of India Community Associations (FICA)
Solon Community Center
August 18, 2013

FICA is an organization dedicated to serving the needs of the Asian Indian Community in Northeast Ohio. From its humble beginnings as a student association in 1962, it has grown to be the voice of a diaspora of over 20,000 and on the increase. FICA helps Asian Indian families assimilate into the mosaic of greater Cleveland.

Over the weekend of August 18, 2013 FICA hosted special events to celebrate India Independence Day. This included Cricket and Tennis Tournaments. See Photos from the sports tournaments.

The formal program on Sunday August 18 included the award ceremony for the sports and a cultural program.

Jay Masurekar served as Master of Ceremonies

Ratan Maitra, Debasish Mukhopadhyay and others
singing the Indian National Anthem

Asim Datta, president of FICA, the Federation of Indian Community Associations performed Vande Mataram - Hail Mother(land), the National song of India at the 67th India Independence Day celebration in Cleveland. This song should not to be confused with the National Anthem of India.

Ratan Maitra and Debasish Mukhopadhyay told about the Indian National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana, which was written by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. They also spoke of the different musical styles and instruments in India and in the different regions of the country.

Ratan Maitra, Asim Datta and Debasish Mukhopadhyay

Lopamudra Das and Gargi Chowdhury of the Bengali Cultural Society performed a dance representing the culture of West Bengal.

10 year old Marisa Mohatra performed Thandava, containing a prayer to Rudra, Lord Shiva praising his greatness, his power of destruction over evils, and the beauty of his Thandava Nritya. This Eastern state of Odisha dance form is called Kuchipudi.

Marisa Mohatra

A Kaitkottikalli Dance from the state of Kerala, the God's own country, was performed by maidens to attain everlasting marital bliss. It is a simple, gentle dance portraying the amorous charm. The dance is performed around a ceremonial lamp or floral decoration especially during Onam. The dancers coordinate their hand movement as they clap in rhythm with the beat. The dancers are: Anupama Krishnan, Devi Rohan, Priyadarshini Cherlan and Keerthi Brijesh.

Next came patriotic Hindi songs celebrating the independence of India and the men and women who protected their independence - the armed forces. Soma Chakarborty and Pushpita Banaerjee rendered an emotional "aye mere watan ke logo" which was originally sung by Bharatratna Lata Mangeshkar.

Next was an Indian song , from the movie Border, Sandase Aate sung by Parto Das, Suman Chakraborty, Supantho Banerjee and Debasish Mukhopadhyay.

This song was dedicated to Indian armed forces "Kar chale Hum Fida Jano tan Sathin, ab tumhare hawale watan sathiyo" from the movie Haqueekat. The singers are Ratan Moitra and Debasish Mukhopashyay.

Students of the Nritya Gitanjali School of Dance perform Tamil song from the State of Tamilnadu in praise of lord Ganesha. The poet hails the Lord as the wise and illustrious son of Shiva and Parvathi, who is the remover of all obstacles. The song is in the raaga Telang set to Adi Ta;am and is performed by Apshara Ravidchndran, Paavani Reddy and Vibha Alangar

From the state of Andhra, a Bollywood style dance was performed by Pradesh and Raj.

Next from the state of Maharashtra, a Bollywood style dance was performed by Ruchi and Ishani. They performed a fusion of Kathak and contemporary dance on a Vande Mataram song composed by A.R. Rehman.

Paramjit Singh, board member of FICA, the Federation of Indian Community Associations spoke about Sikhs, non-violence and Gandhi at the 67th India Independence Day celebration in Cleveland. Paramjit Singh said that Cleveland is the only city in the world with a statue of Gandhi on a street named for Martin Luther King.

Paramjit Singh