New FIAV office inaugurated

February 2010 was truly a month of significance for the Indian community of Melbourne. Through the sheer perseverance of President Vasan Srinivasan and a discreet nudge from the Victorian Multicultural Commission, the Federation of Indian Associations Victoria (FIAV) moved their office, quite appropriately, to the famed Little India at 85 Foster Street (First Floor), Dandenong.

FIAV made the inauguration of the new premises a huge affair. At the entrance, damsels served mishri and nibbles and welcomed invited dignitaries by placing sweet-smelling garlands around their necks and applying tilaks. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the guests were led upstairs to meet and greet each other and enjoy soft drinks. Guests then moved to the backyard to continue the ceremony.

MC Sushil Sharma invited Mark Dryfuss the Hon’ble Member for Isaacs to the dais, and he praised the Indian community’s contributions to overall Australian society. Victorian David Davis, a cherished MP in the community, insisted that Australia cannot let the actions of a few thugs destroy our cultural diversity. He also stated that 50,000 Indians live in the close vicinity of Dandenong and that FIAV could not have chosen a more opportune place for their presence. Davis termed Indians “a respectable, harmonious and prospering community”. Inga Peulich, MP who represents an emperor’s portion of south-east Victoria, praised the parliamentary democracy Australia and India share, and pledged to work together to solve issues.

Dr. T J Rao was introduced by Vasan as ‘The Father of FIAV’. He related that the Federation actually came into being in 1982 than 87, when he and other stalwarts met political leaders and agencies and finally laid the inception of

FIAV; a place where members could meet and enjoy a quiet evening. “Service to humanity,” he quoted, “is the service to God.” Commander Trevor Carter of the Victoria Police deplored regrettable developments against Indian students and pledged 24/7 support to Vasan and various other community groups. Carter presented Vasan with a Victoria Police 2010 plaque as a goodwill measure. Consul General Anita Nayar was all praise for Vasan’s insight, and his wish that the offices of FIAV and Consular worked together. Primus Australia CEO Ravi Bhatia commented, “Australia and India have issues to keep in perspective.”

Multicultural Commission Chairman George Lekakis, who cherishes Indian culture and food, was all praises for the contributions India continues to instill in the Victorian society. On the lighter side, Vasan awed the audience when he presented a highly surprised Lekakis a small statue of Bala: the god of riches, he portrayed owned ‘more gold than the Vatican’, and who does not differentiate on the basis of caste, colour or creed. Provoking laughter, Vasan hoped that Bala would motivate Lekakis to grant FIAV more financial aid. Michael King of the Urban Development said that FIAV’s presence in Little India will revitalise Dandenong. More shops, new buildings and restaurants, King believed, and police are actively and visibly involved in reducing crime in the state. MP Tony Lupton member of Prahran said that the Government is putting laws into place to severely punish those who are convicted of crimes that are deemed as racial in nature .He said that more funding has been provided by the Government to support and increase police presence in Victoria. Mr. Jose Alvarez, Director of Immigration, and Sushi Das, senior Age reporter were also present. will enrich the already multicultural environment of the city. Cr. Jim Memeti, Mayor, City of Greater Dandenong, rated the Indian community as a revenue generator and related how many thousand visited his city during Diwali celebrations at Sandown Park, besides other Indian festivals.

Bollywood was definitely the flavor as the audience tried some Bollywood moves with Nithya Ramesan from Natya Bollywood Dance School. Aarti Chhabra and Gurmit Sahni continued promoting the Bollywood mood by singing popular songs from yesteryears. Both singers displayed great talent and passion for singing with their renditions. Vice President of AISV Manjula O’Connor did a commendable job as MC. Her vivacious style kept the momentum going. The evening ended with a vote of thanks from AISV Secretary Sheena Bakshi.

Indians present included Australia-India Society President Dr. Gurdeep Arora, Victorian Tamil Society Secretary Vicki Vikramasinghe, NRISA President Dr. Santosh Kumar, ISCA President Dr. Prem Phakey, Usha Sharma, Krishna Arora, Shashi Gajree, Shano Rajkumar, Sushma Gupta, and Guru Deepika Shome and son Andy, Baba, of Baba Entertainments, and various other business-owners.

The vegetarian lunch was catered by Tandoori Junction, Glen Waverley.

The FIAV office consists of a reception, two office rooms with computers, a small room by the kitchen where members could rest, play games, hold small meetings and enjoy tea/coffee/ biscuits. There is no room for larger groups; however Vasan explained that the quarterly meetings would be held in the backyard, with shamianas and chairs, at no extra cost. There is plenty of parking around the premises and benevolently, the railway station is a 2-minute walk away, as is Thomas Street where most buses to all parts of Melbourne commence.

FIAV invites members of the community to visit them to relax and to make more friends. For more information, please contact the office on 1800 342 800 between 10 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday.

George Thakur