Second International Day of Yoga British Columbia 2016, Message from Aditya Tawatia President of Indo-Canadian Socio-Economic Association

Dear Friends,

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you all on this 2nd anniversary of the international day of Yoga being held in Vancouver. This is a significant day for all Indians across the world as this IDY marks a major recognition to one of our most ancient practices of keeping oneself in good health and maintaing peace. International recognition to this ancient Indian practice of Yoga wouldn’t have been possible if not for the dynamic leadership of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji.

In 2014 while addressing the United Nations general assembly Shri Modi ji called for the adoption of June 21st as International Yoga Day. He said:

“Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.”

It gives me a great sense of pride and honour to inform you that the resolution was supported by more than 170 countries including our beloved Canada. Last year marked the 1st IDY celebrations which were held with great fervour around various citied of the world. We at Indo-Canadian Socio-Economic Association (IC-SEA) in Vancouver too had a very successful event and were overwhelmed with the support shown. This encouraged us to continue the tradition this year wherein we have an even broader support from various social organizations as well as Yoga teachers and schools.

IDY provides a unique opportunity to promote interaction between mainstream Canadian culture and rich Indian heritage and culture. I must here also mention and applaud my team at IC-SEA and volunteers for their untiring efforts and dedication in making this event a grand success.

Similarly this event wouldn’t have been possible without the tremendous and unflinching support of the Consulate General of India in Vancouver, our sponsors and experts who continue to generously contribute for the cause of Yoga and well being. Seeing the success of this event I have no doubt in my
mind that that we will host this multi-cultural Yoga event every year.

Aditya Tawatia congratulate you all on this special day and look forward to your participation next year.

Aditya Tawatia With Kapil Sharma

Aditya Tawatia, President of Indo Canadian Socio Economic Association with Kapil Sharma celebrating BC Yoga Souvenir Aditya Tawatia

Aditya Tawatia with Kapil Sharma, Kapil Kumria & Daljit Thind in Vancouver BC.
 

Aditya Tawatia‘s mother cheering Kapil Sharma in his show in PNE Vancouver BC.

Overseas Friends of BJP

Large section of Indian Diaspora across the globe has been traditionally a big supporter and sympathizer of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) was formed in mid-90s in order to channelize their enthusiasm and energy. Initially started in USA and UK, now it has branches in close to 40 countries.

OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of the organization were formulated which are outlined as follows:
1. To work towards projecting a positive and correct image of India and its people in the U.S. and foreign media, and correct any distortions in the media’s reporting of current events taking place in India.

2. To promote the philosophy of ‘Integral Humanism’.

3. To foster a cordial relationship between Asian Indian and North American People, by establishing direct communication channels with local ethnic and national media, and organizing regular seminars on topics of mutual interest.

4. To work towards strengthening social bonds among Indian Americans, irrespective of region, religion, race, creed and color, and help to generate a feeling of oneness and brotherhood.

5. To create a think tank of mature, experienced and intelligent individuals of Indian origin in order to utilize their expertise and wisdom to generate new ideas which could be beneficial for the Asian Indian community in North America and the people of India.

6. To work towards strengthening social bonds among Asian Indians, irrespective of region, religion, race, creed and color, and help to generate a feeling of oneness and brotherhood.

7. Highlight bilateral issues concerning Indian Diaspora, business, economy and trade.

SCOPE OF ACTION AND OPERATION

In furtherance of the above objectives, the OFBJP may:

1. Arrange talks, seminars, symposia, press conferences, public meetings/rallies, internet activities and other programs on issues pertaining to India and Indo – Canadian cooperation and culture.

2. Publish books, pamphlets, journals, newsletters/papers and use any available print and electronic media including Internet; acquire literature; arrange cultural and social exhibitions, display motion pictures or video programs, and organize musical performances.

3. Issue appeals to raise funds, and collect money by way of memberships, contributions, grants and any other lawful means or methods.

4. Use electronic, optical, audio and video media, and computer network to distribute and collect public information.

This Information of Aditya Tawatia is Taken From :-
http://www.adityatawatia.com/overseas-friends-of-bjp/

Jat Reservation Issue

My heart goes to victims of Haryana reservations latest stir. Finding it hard to express my sadness through words for loss of lives and property and strongly believe that culprits will be brought to justice soon. 

The Jats are one of the proudest and resilient people of the country. They have had as their home the most fertile land in the world spreading across the Gangetic Plains in India. The community also played a vital role in the freedom struggle and its leaders later had a central political role in the development of the country. In early 17th century, Jat king Maharaja Surajmal ruled hindi heartland by involving all the communities under his umbrella. Raja Nahar Singh’s whole hearted support to the revolt of 1857 shook the Empire to its core. He was later brutally and publicly hanged by the British. Instances of such courage and sacrifice are many throughout Jat history. 

The people of the community are also considered as one of the fiercest soldiers and it is considered a matter of pride when a Jat youth takes up the duty of protecting India’s borders. The great Maharaja Surajmal of the Jat community is referred to by historians as the ‘India’s Plato’ for his political vision and intellect. 

Ironically enough, Jats have always been epic center of Mandal commission from it's birth. Then Prime Minister Morarji Desai established Mandal commission in 1979 to curb Ch. Charan Singh influence on masses and was implemented by Prime Minister V.P. Singh in 1989 to divert country's attention from very successful historical  Ch. Devi Lal rally. Being in such a powerful situation for centuries if this community is looking for reservation then India as nation need to re-think not only about Jats but all Marshall and Agrarian communities future in changing dynamics of social and economic structure of India.

One of the most respected Jat leaders was Chaudhary Charan Singh. He was Prime Minister of the country for a regrettably short time; however, his most lasting legacy to India came in the form of revolutionary land reform laws in the 1950’s. The Jats have a very close connection to their land and are fiercely protective of it. Chaudhary Charan Singh had the conviction to speak out against his own party leader Jawahar Lal Nehru for pursuing socialist land policies. He had foresight to recognize the scourge of caste segregation in Hinduism and believed that rewarding Inter-caste marriage might be a way to overcome this.

How is it that a community with the proud history of the Jats is being forced to ask for handouts in the form of reservation? 
I believe there are many factors to this transformation including the seedy underbelly of caste politics being followed in India. They are still vastly under-represented in most states, including those where they form the majority of the electorate.
The community is struggling under the weight of poor implementation of land reform, incomplete infrastructure projects and rampant caste politics.
As a proud member of the community which has been responsible for feeding the country through its efforts since historical times, it saddens me that the noble profession of farming is being sidelined in the naked pursuit of greed and profits.
 Most of the industrialization is being carried out on the Jat community’s lands forcing them to go through a social upheaval. 

Who is to blame for this mess?
I have no hesitation in saying that the Congress party has to shoulder the blame completely.
Their party is singularly responsible for making hurried claims about reservation which have been quashed by the Supreme Court. Had they done their due diligence and followed established protocols, this situation would never have arrived.

The Congress party is built on the principles of dynasty politics, something that I am dead against. I will once again give the example of Chaudhary Charan Singh who opposed such policies and did not do his son any favors or open any doors in politics. Ajit Singh only entered politics once his father started to suffer from ill health and was in the twilight of his career.
I am a proud Jat and one that firmly believe in meritocracy rather than reservation. I am not in favor of Jat reservation but instead; believe that given the right opportunities and support by our political leaders, the community will once again rise to tremendous heights. 

Reservations should only be handed out to people on the basis of their economic status and I personally feel that this reservation should extend only to one or two generations. It should not be an advantage that extends perpetually. 
We want to set up policies and foundations in place that will help remove social and economic inequality rather than perpetuate it. The poorest among us are the most prone to unrest and change. Every member of society deserves dignity and respect irrespective of whether they may be born a Brahmin or a Dalit. Caste hierarchy serves as the main push for people to abandon their faith and move further away from mainstream society.

I am confident that this political unrest that the current government has inherited will be handled deftly and efficiently by Shree Narendra Modiji and his government. Modiji, has in fact, shown great restraint and understanding while dealing with multiple communities tackling complex issues. His courage and conviction in the face of manufactured crisis will show us the way.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he has the foresight and vision to find an acceptable solution going forward.

Copyright © 2016 by Aditya Tawatia, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means.

News Taken From :-
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/jat-reservation-issue-aditya-tawatia

Capitalism & Wealth Inequality

A new Oxfam report timed to coincide with the meeting of some of the wealthiest individuals in Davos has brought to light some of the glaring disparities in wealth across the world. The report showed that just 62 of the world’s richest people own as much wealth as 50% of the world’s population.

Aditya Tawatia | News

This staggering inequality has increased over the last five years as the poorest 50% of the world saw their combined wealth drop by 41%. The response to this situation is often a shrug of the shoulder and a resignation to the drawbacks of capitalism. This simply is not enough anymore.
Capitalism is a great system. It promotes competition, innovation and increases efficiency and production. It is also a fantastic job generator. However, the system as it exists now is not perfect and to pretend that there is nothing that can be done is just not true.
Redistribution of wealth back into the system is something that must be greatly improved. The first step in this direction would be to get rid of the tax havens that exist, allowing corporations to get away with paying little to no tax on their earnings. Unfortunately though, it seems that political will to make this happen seems to be lacking and will continue to do so until the strong corporate political lobby is dismantled.
There are plenty of indicators that suggest that raising minimum wage directly affects the quality of life of the people at the lowest level. However, this increased burden of minimum wages cannot be put on small businesses. There has to be a distinction between the behemoth corporate earning billions of dollars and small family owned businesses. This line in the sand can be debated upon and arrived to by mutual consensus, however the process must begin as soon as possible. Limiting the amount of money spent on political lobbying and increasing the mandatory contributions towards non-political/not for profit efforts will help bring equal growth to the entire community.
The every ethos of capitalism prevent any ceilings or caps as to how large a company can grow, but a close watch needs to paid to ensure these companies do not become monopolies. As soon as a monopoly is formed, it destroys the level playing field where competition thrives. Newer, smaller companies have no option but to bend to the will of the entrenched corporations and most are therefore bought out or forced out of business.
There has been a trend for billionaires to pledge their personal incomes to philanthropy and various charities over the last few decades. The Bill and Melinda gates foundation is one that comes to mind which is bankrolling noble efforts all over the world. However, is the idea of mandating some amount of social responsibility on corporations above a certain size that outlandish? This amount would a small fraction of the total profit earned and would make absolutely no difference to the bottom line of the company itself, however this money being pumped into school systems, healthcare facilities and public infrastructure would enrich millions of lives forever.
This report should serve as an eye opener to people all over the world that this road we are on is just not sustainable. There is nothing that can justify 1% of the population having 99% of the wealth in the world.

Copyright © 2016 by Aditya Tawatia, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means.

News Taken From :-
http://www.adityatawatia.com/capitalism-wealth-inequality/

Recent migrant crisis & government’s response | News

The world is witnessing one of the greatest human migrations in the history. The muddled war in Syria shows no sign of abating any time soon and all indicators point to an increase in the number of migrants next year.

So what should be the attitude of the Canadian Government in tackling this crisis as large numbers make their way to Canada?
There is no doubt that this complicated situation has become more delicate in light of the devastating attacks in Paris. Canada has played its part militarily in the conflicts that have ultimately led to this crisis and so it must own up to the responsibility of helping those displaced.
The chances that some unwanted elements will be able to slip into our country increases with the amount of pressure we have to put on the security and clearance agencies. It is also obvious that the people of Canada share the same concerns. There was a petition signed by 30,000 people requesting Prime Minister Trudeau to stop taking in Syrian migrants.
That being said, the government needs to ensure that its security protocols are absolutely fool proof. Once again, Canada cannot afford to let even a single terrorist inside its borders.
Canadian culture is unique and has always valued freedom of thought, thinking and action. We must ensure that the fabric of our society is not changed due to a sudden and rapid influx in migrants. There are some other countries that have made the mistake and have found it hard to recover. We must make sure that this delicate balance is maintained and none of our citizens feel unsafe.
By taking in and rehabilitating these people, Canada would be denying ISIS and other terror groups their biggest resource, People. They need these people to feel dispirited and disenchanted enough to take up violence, to feel that this is the only way out for them.
Canada can lead the way and set an example for other countries to follow when it comes to dealing with migrants with compassion and clarity. There is no way that all the migrants coming to our shores can be resettled, there is also no question of compromising on any aspect of Canada’s well being, however there is still room for a lot of good to be done keeping these two non negotiable in mind.
It is a thin line to tread but one that our country has the capability of doing.

Copyright © 2015 by Aditya Tawatia, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means.

News Taken From :-
http://www.adityatawatia.com/recent-migrant-crisis-governments-response/

Paris and California terror attacks News

The threat of ISIS and its unfortunate lure to the misguided youth around the world has become clearer than ever as France and the United States were shaken by cowardly acts of terror. Paris which saw the biggest attack on its soil since World War II random was soon followed by California’s seemingly well adjusted immigrant couple revealing their true monstrous identity.

All of this meaningless violence has shaken the world to its very core and every nation have stood as one in condemning the perpetrators behind this cowardly act.

The thing to remember about these attacks that reverberated around the world is that even though the number of people who lost their lives is high, there have been higher numbers in other attacks around the world. Paris, however, is a city that is considered to be the cultural capital of the western world and a strike at some of its most recognizable spots is an attack at western civilization itself. Similarly, the modus operandi followed in USA seems to be almost indefensible.

These unfortunate attacks have changed public opinion in Canada and may cause the Trudeau government to pull back on some of its planned measures due to public backlash.

I believe that the government finds itself stuck in between pressure to follow through on its pre-poll promises and rapidly changing sentiment. Prime Minister Trudeau will be well aware of the challenges that lie ahead of him especially as he tries to shepherd 25000 Syrian immigrants into the country before the start of next year.

The process of reduction of far reaching anti-terror laws and surveillance capabilities of the government will also take a hit. The conservatives too have a point which is hard to argue against as the current climate may not be the most amenable to reducing the amount of information that is being collected by intelligence agencies.

French President Hollande has declared war on ISIS in the wake of the attack and may ask his allies, including Canada, to increase their involvement in the Syrian war. This would put Prime Minister Trudeau in a tight spot as he has publicly stated his intent to bring Canadian Soldiers back home and reduce the number of air strikes being carried out by Canadian aircraft.

It would also be prudent for the liberal government to take a step back and re-evaluate some of the plans it has made. The intention to safe guard civil liberties is a noble one but it cannot come at the cost of making the country’s borders more porous or hamper the intelligence gathering capabilities of security agencies. This is the only way in way attacks like those seen in California can be prevented.

The harsh reality is that not everyone shares the same values and principles on which Canada is built and terrorist organizations like ISIS actively seek to destroy it. While we would all like to see our soldiers back home, they may still have a vital role to play in defeating the scourge of terrorism.

The leader of opposition, Rona Ambrose, has called on the Prime Minister and asked him to support their allies in time of war and ensure that Canadian fighter jets continue operations in Syria. Such a stance would be an about turn from Trudeau’s stated policies, however Ambrose has assured him that he would have complete support of the opposition if he does decide to go down this route.

Canada has to make a decision whether it wants to continue its current role in the war against ISIS or maybe step up support to its allies away from the battlefield. The option of pretending nothing is wrong and that it does not concern Canada is no longer on the table.

Copyright © 2015 by AdityaTawatia, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means.

News Taken From :-
http://www.adityatawatia.com/paris-and-california-terror-attacks/

India Inc. welcomes Modi as BJP storms into power in historical win

Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate for India’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), greets his supporters after addressing a public meeting in Vadodara, in the western Indian state of Gujarat, May 16, 2014. Reuters

India Share markets jumped with poll results AAP shines in Punjab but got satisfactory vote share in rest of India 

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) of India thundered to victory in India’s election. Results on India’s Election Commission website show that the Narendra Modi and his party trounced the ruling Congress party in 2014 general elections. Modi’s landslide, the most resounding election victory India has seen in 30 years, was welcomed with a blistering rally on India’s stock markets and raucous celebrations at offices across the country of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), where supporters danced, exploded fireworks and gave out sweets.
Responding to the news, Indian markets got off to a roaring start, with the rupee breaking below 59 to the U.S. dollar, an 11-month high, and the benchmark stock index jumping 6 percent to a record high before paring its gains.Betting on a Modi win, foreign investors have poured more than $16 billion into Indian stocks and bonds in the past six months and now hold over 22 percent of Mumbai-listed equities – a stake estimated by Morgan Stanley at almost $280 billion.
Congress party won less than 50 of the 543 parliamentary seats at stake. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh congratulated Modi with a telephone call. Narendra Modi’s tweet saying “India has won” that instantly set a record as the country’s most retweeted Twitter post.
The BJP had won or was winning in 283 seats in parliament, as counting trends showed on the time news was being written, comfortably across the halfway mark of 272 required to rule. An alliance led by the party was ahead in 338 seats. Rahul Gandhi and his mother and leader of the Congress party, Sonia, shouldered blame for their party’s rout.

Aditya Tawatia, President OFBJP, British Columbia is elated at the historic win of BJP in India. In a statement released to Asian Journal, Aditya Tawatia said, “
Dark period of Congress rule has ended finally. People of India have shown their maturity and given clear mandate to BJP and Mr. Narendra Modi. I want to thank all Indo – Canadians residing in British Columbia for their unconditional support for Narendra Bhai Modi ji”. OFBJP, BC secretary Rominder Singh Bhatha said it is great day for all of India and non-resident Indians. Mr. Modi is leader with vision for the country and people. Finally the congress propaganda will end. Treasure Mr. Praveen Goel also expressed his happiness with the results and said election results are win of truth against lies of congress.

2nd Annual Diwali Gala of TiE Vancouver and C-IBC held at Fairmont Vancouver

Vancouver: TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) and Canada- India Business Council (C-IBC) organised a grand Diwali Gala and Networking event in Vancouver on Oct 3^rd. The event was held at The Fairmont Waterfront Hotel. Finance Minister Mike De Jong, Advance Education Minister Amrik Virk, Lynne Platt,  U.S. Consul General, IIias Kremmydas, Consul General for Greece,  Ravi Shankar Aisola, Conusl General of India were some of the prominent guests at the event.   In his opening remarks, Vivek Savkur, President Emeritus, C-IBC said that Diwali is the biggest festival in India most popular. Every single person celebrates Diwali in India with great enthusiasm. And where Indians go in the world they take the spirit of Diwali with them. It’s a great festival; it connects people, spreads joy and promotes harmony.   Consul General of India, Ravi Shankar Aisola congratulated everybody on this auspicious festival of light and elaborated the significance of Dusherra and Diwali in our life. He gave an insight into the meaning of Diwali, its origin which was very engaging and informative.   Overseas friends of Bhartiya Janata Party President Aditya Tawatia congratulated Canadians on auspicious occasion of Diwali and hailed hard work of C-IBC team of  Vivek Savkur, Vic Khanna, Sukesh Kumar and volunteers on hosting such a grand gala event. This is 2nd Diwali Gala organized for the business community in Vancouver. It was a fun event with Bollywood performances by Nritya Academy. The Emcee for the evening was Sirish Rao of Indian Summer Festival fame who charmed the audience with his funny one liners. The event was a combination of business networking where guests were served authentic Indian cuisine prepared especially by the chef of Fairmont Jaipur. Cathay Pacific Airways was the presenting sponsor of the event. Two Cathay Pacific Business Class tickets roundtrip Vancouver to Hong Kong and onward to Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai or Hyderabad were given away as the door prize. The tickets have 1 year validity, and travel restricted to period 04 October to 30 November, 2014, 12 January to 13 February and 29 February to 03 October, 2015. Taxes/surcharges are extra & payable by the prize winner. 

OFBJP organized a fund raising dinner to support charities involved in child welfare

Surrey: OFBJP (Overseas Friends of Bhartiya Janta Party) unit of BC, Canada organized a fund raising dinner on November 22nd 2014 to support charities that are working to improve conditions of children around the globe. The event also celebrated winning of Noble Peace Prize by Kailash Satyarthi,the Indian child rights activist. This was a unique function where all attendees were encouraged to donate to their own favorite charity working for the cause of children.

The dinner was sponsored by OFBJP and attendees donated directly to the charity of their choice such as Canadian World Education Foundation. Participants included prominent Indo Canadian professionals, educators and business leaders such as Dr. Nemy Banthia, a Professor of Civil Engineering, and a Canada Research Chair at the University of British Columbia, and Chief Executive Officer of IC-IMPACTS (the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability). Speaking on the ocassion, Aditya Tawatia, Convener of OFBJP BC said that this festive season we all are having mixed feelings. The Nobel committee’s announcement of the name of Kailash Satyarthi as one of the winners of 2014 Peace Prize is a matter of great pride for all of us . However, the cause of child labour and other sufferings is a matter of grave concern for us.

He congratulated everyone for coming together to raise funds for the great cause. It was a wonderful fun filled evening attended by close to 100 people. All the families enjoyed delicious Indian vegetarian food, Hindi and Punjabi songs and the biggest hit for all children and adult was the game of jeopardy with a theme of Children in India, Canada and around the World.

Khalsa Diwan Society Gurudwara prepares to welcome Modi in Vancouver

Indian PM will be accompanied by Canadian PM Harper

Vancouver: BJP cadre in Canada are in full spirit to welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi will visit Canada from April 14 to 16, making stops in Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver. This is the first bilateral visit to Canada by an Indian Prime Minister since 1973.
In Vancouver, Modi will visit on April 16. He will first visit Khalsa Diwan Society Gurudwara which is also known as Ross Gurudwara.
Sohan Singh Deo, President of Khalsa Diwan Society Vancouver, in an exclusive conversation with Asian Journal said, “BJP representatives contacted me over the phone and told that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to Vancouver. They expressed that Mr. Modi wants to interact with Ind-Canadian community during his Vancouver visit.”
Mr Deo said, “BJP representatives met Gurudwara management to discuss Modi’s visit at the Sikh temple. He added Aditya Tawatia initiated the discussion.” Aditya Tawatia is the President of Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) British Columbia.
The Society President further added that after initial meetings both Indian Prime Minister’s office and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office representatives also visited the Khalsa Diwan Society.
Acording to initial reports, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be accompanying PM Modi during his Vancouver visit. They will visit at the Ross street Gurudwara on April 16 at 2 pm and stay there for 30-45 minutes. The attendees are advised to come 2 hours before the scheduled time.
The Gurudwara has already registered 500 attendees and the Khalsa Diwan Society is making arrangement for 1200 people in their premises but subjected to security measures.
The event is open for public but attendees names must be registered beforehand at the Sikh Temple. The security agencies will perform a security check on the list and Gurudwara management will confirm those whose name will be cleared in the security check.
To get registered, one can call, email or visit at the Khalsa Diwan Society Gurudwara.
Ross Gurudwara is getting a lot of calls to participate in the event. We did not get any negative calls, people are very excited to see Modi.
Parking during Modi’s visit will be also restricted but Gurudwara will arrange to pick up people from the designated area where security check will be held.
Deo concluded that Aditya Tawatia is helping us in the preparation of the event and it is like our joint venture with them.
Modi will also visit Laxmi Narayan Temple in Surrey same day later in the evening. OFBJP appeals everyone to participate in the historic event at Ross Gurudwara Vancouver and Laxmi Narayan Mandir Surrey.

Aditya Tawatia Various News Links :

OF-BJP launched in Canada

Komagata Marucommemorative events held in Vancouver

United Indian diaspora warmly welcomed PM Modi in Canada

OfBJP President meets Modi’s Cabinet

International Yoga Day celebrated by IC-SEA

2nd Annual Diwali Gala of TiE Vancouver and C-IBC held at Fairmont Vancouver

OF-BJP launched in Canada

NEW YORK: The Overseas Friends of Bharatiya Janata Party (OFBJP) was formally launched in Canada by Global OFBJP Convener Vijay Jolly in Mississauga, Ontario. The inauguration coincided with the one-day forum of Overseas Friends of Bhartiya Janata Party meeting organized under the auspices of Global Community Overreach Program held with the approval of All India BJP President Rajnath Singh and BJP General Secretary Ram Lal, said Dr. Rajesh Shukla, member Central Committee of OFBJP and Prabhari of Canada chapters.

OFBJP delegates from Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto attended the day-long meeting at Hilton Garden Inn at Mississauga. Jolly led the discussion on how to strengthen the organization in Canada with elections round the corner and issues like membership, charter and committees to deal with operations. OFBJP Global Convener Vijay Jolly nominated Dr. Azad K. Kaushik as convener of Toronto chapter, Dr. Shivendra Dwivedi as convener for Montreal, Aditya Tawatia as convener for Vancouver and Shiv Bhaskar as Convener for Ottawa. OFBJP Canada chapters have been established with the BJP’s aim of connecting with the global Indian Diaspora.

Jolly told the meeting that people of Indian origin have played a significant role in development of Canada and for close Indo-Canadian friendship and understanding. Today Canada has an Indian population of 1.2 million and excels in the field of medicine, IT, commerce, sports, politics, media, social and cultural spheres. OFBJP Canada shall focus on improving cultural and heritage links between the people of Canada and India, Jolly said.

A book titled Social Harmony by Narendra Modi Chief Minister Gujarat and BJP Convener of Central Election Campaign Committee was presented by Jolly to the newly appointed OFBJP Canada Conveners. All the attending delegates were honored with BJP Lotus color scarves and BJP logo coat pins by Jolly. The delegates had a free and frank discussion on how to contribute for the motherland and assured their full support for the victory of BJP in the coming State Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in India.

Aditya Tawatia President OfBJP congratulates Indo-Canadian community on Independence Day

Asian Journal: How did the thought to celebrate India’s Independence day occur to you?
Aditya Tawatia: First, I would like to
congratulate Indo Canadian
community and the OfBJP team for the success it was team decision to celebrate India’s 68th Independence Day. When I started working towards this project there were challenges, but slowly the momentum built up and I received warm support from the community. There are many people who are who came together to make this event success. This is a noble cause which we are doing, remembering the freedom fighters that fought for the freedom of the country where we were born and also feel the pride and joy that our adopted country has given us opportunity to be successful.
Asian Journal: What opportunities do you see between India and Canada?
Aditya Tawatia: In both the countries there are so many things that compliment each other. Canada is rich in oil and gas, manufacturing, lumber and as far India is concerned it can provide skilled human resource. Last 30 to 40 years we didn’t do much business but now we are looking forward to expansion of trade ties between the two countries.
Asian Journal: What is the plan for next year?
Aditya Tawatia: Next year we are going to make it even bigger event. This was the first time and the support we recieved from the community has encouraged us to go forward and make this event an annual event.