Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Indian diaspora joyously celebrated their homeland’s cultural richness and religious diversity at the 42nd India Day Parade honouring the nation’s Independence in New York.
A float depicting the Ayodhya Ram Mandir was featured in the parade on August 18, along with tableaus of Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs while groups of Indian Jews and Buddhists marched under their banners.
Men and women, in a cascade of colours, beat traditional drums from Maharashtra heralding the Ram Mandir float, and along the route, people rushed spontaneously past barriers to greet it. The parade with thousands marching and many more watching it wended along Madison Avenue in a kaleidoscope of colour.
The confluence of India’s diversity of religions, regions and languages at the parade jubilantly proclaiming the nation’s unity was a contrast to their targeted attacks on the Ram Mandir, amplified by thinly veiled Hinduphobia in the US media that had declared ahead of the event that it was controversial or marred by the float’s presence.
Swami Adveshanand Giri, the head of the Juna Akhada, said to be the oldest and largest organisation of sanyasis, was the chief guest while actress Sonakshi Sinha was the Grand Marshal and actor Zahir Iqbal was the VIP guest. The New York Police Department sent a contingent of officers and their band to march in the parade. NY Police Department Desi Society marched with their own banner.
A group holding the Indian tricolour was flanked by two mounted police. At several points along the parade route, Jews and Israelis, who are also the targets of the groups ideologically similar to those campaigning against the Ram Mandir float waved Israeli flags and cheered. The International Organisation of Bene Israel – USA representing the Jews of India was one of the groups of marchers. There was a float dedicated to Guru Teg Bahadur, another from Muslims for Peace proclaimed: “Love to All, Hatred to None,” while one from the National Association of Indian Christians in the USA said: “Jesus will bring good news.”
