Dear IAASA member and friends

A quick note to update you on our New Year 2018 programs.

The year started very busily with a mix of ac-tivities.

January:

India’s Republic Day celebrations

On the 26th of January, we celebrated India’s Republic Day celebrations. The Indian Na-tional Flag was hoisted to the tune of the Na-tional Anthem and was followed by speeches from past IAASA Presidents and VIPs. Sweets and snacks were then distributed.

Australia Day celebrations

On the afternoon of the same day, IAASA participated in the Australia Day parade with an Indian IAASA float.

The beautiful float represented the different regions of India. We give many thanks to the volunteers who helped out and those who were part of the contingent. Huge thanks to the couples who came dressed in traditional attire of their region. They made the float eye-catching! See the article inside.

SAMEAC reception meeting

Our Committee attended a reception meet-ing with the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission (SAMEAC) on the 31st. The Premier pledged through SAMEAC, that there would be a multicultural hub for the various communities to hold nu-merous workshops, festivals, courses, and other cultural activities and social gatherings.

February:

Meet and Greet

A Meet and Greet evening was held on 9th February. A representative from the Dept of Environment (Sue Reece), gave a talk on ‘Sustainable Living’. Over 40 people attend-ed with 4-6 new migrant families intro-duced.

New website – www.iaasa.com.au

Our new website was launched on the day. It has some fantastic features and is very user friendly. Please visit the website and give us your feedback.

Regional Associations & Cultural Organisa-tions (RACO)

On Monday 19th February, we held a RACO meeting. A couple of hours were spent dis-cussing how this group can work together for the benefit of the whole Indian commu-nity. About 15 members from various or-ganisations participated. All who attended gave valuable suggestions and contribu-tions for forthcoming activities.

From the President’s Desk

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

President’s Message 1

2

Indian Republic Day

Celebration

3

IAASA Congratulates 4

Story—Frog Race 5

Mela 2018 6

7

Mela in Pictures

8

9

IAASA Community

Centre

10

11

Australia Day Parade 12

Meet & Greet 13

IAASA NEWSLETTER 4 / 4 / 2 0 1 8 V O L U M E 3

U P C O M I N G

E V E N T S

• 14th April 2018

Meet and Greet

• May 2018

Family Fun Sports

day

IAASA Committee 14

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IAASA NEWSLETTER 2017-2018 VOLUME 3

WEBSITE LAUNCHED

From the President’s Desk

IAASA coffee, tea stall fantastically (as usual) and also Susila Palaniappan with hot snacks. Thanks to all who came and spent time with us!

A more detailed article inside.

April

Meet & Greet —14th April Saturday 11am—3pm. Look out for a flyer in your email soon.

May

Sports Day (in planning)

I invite you to contribute articles for this newsletter. This is your newsletter, so take up the opportunity to put forth articles that you are passionate or interested in. Any contributions of yours are valued and welcome, whether it be informative articles, poems, recipes, chil-dren’s artwork / achievements and anything else you can think of.

Ladies have started a Dancercises group in the IAASACC Hall. Flyer enclosed.

We are planning more programs in the coming months. Join us and show your encouragement and involve-ment in IAASA.

Kind regards

Narayana Rai

President

Indian Australian Association of South Australia (IAASA)

March

Mela

Mela 2018 is the biggest event of the year for IAASA. In this year’s Mela we focussed on families and kids mak-ing it a very family friendly event.

For that reason there was lots space for on-ground activities and we included sports clinics for kids. The Footy Clinic by SANFL was hugely popular as also the Cricket Clinic by SACA. Activities for children were more than any other year with craft and yoga work-shops, circus workshops and entertainers! On ground activities included interactive garba, circus, interactive women’s flash mob and, of course, the stage was as usual full of dance and music. The predominance, this year, of folk and classical dances and live music was greatly enjoyable. We were, however, disappointed with the attendance possibly due to other events on the same day.

Mela was attended by the Governor General, the then Premier Jay Weatherill, Leader of Opposition – the cur-rent premier – Stephen Marshall and many other par-liamentarians and dignitaries. It was an honour to host them at the Mela.

The hard work of the Mela committee and, particularly, the Committee Chairperson, Sam Dahm, paid off with a spectacular show. The entertainment performances were of a very high calibre and was enjoyed by all! Thank you to all the volunteers, participants, stall hold-ers especially Odella Panelli who put up and ran the

RACO MEETING

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INDIAN REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATION Indian Republic Day was celebrated at IAASACC Hall on the morning of 26th January. As has become customary now, since the last few years, a make-shift flag pole was set up by Mr Narayana Rai and the Indian National Flag was hoisted to the tune of the National Anthem. For all attending it was definitely a moment of pride and one-ness with our homeland. After a talk on the meaning of the Republic and India’s accomplishments by the IAASA President, some Past Presidents and VIP’s gave brief talks to salute the occasion. People caught up with old friends or made new ones and had a good time over light refreshments and snacks. It is great that we can celebrate these events here in our Hall in such a wonderful way!

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Inside Story Headline

WOMEN’S DANCERCISE GROUP

IAASA CONGRATULATES

Member of the Order of Australia

Awardees

Anant Kaur Sandhu AM – for service to

community and the restaurant industry

Prof Sharad Kumar AM, Senior Principal

Research Fellow NHRMC – for service to

medical research

Governor’s Multicultural Award Winners

Dr Meera Goyal—Aged Care category

Dr Nayana Parange - Volunteer category

Deepak Bharadwaj—Community Service

Citizen of the Year — Unley

Rajendra Pandey

All are welcome to join in. To make it con-venient for women of all ages, the group meets at 7pm on alternate Wednesdays and Thursdays. Age and ability no bar. It is a free group activity by women for women. For more information please contact Vinaya Rai on 0432 321 832 or Saloni Gad-hia on 0406 436 569

A group of women have joined together to meet regularly for fun dancing and exercising in the IAASACC Hall. This was a direct result of an interactive flash mob performance at the Mela that several women who had no previ-ous dance experience participated in. Some at a moment’s notice, learning the steps at a moment’s notice! This resulted in new friend-ships and a feeling of success, a feeling that this was fun and we have to do it more often!! So they are!!

I A A S A N E W S L E T T E R

The Frog Race By Manna Abraham

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There was once a bunch of tiny frogs, who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tow-er. A big crowd gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants. The race began… No one in the crowd really be-lieved that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower. They shouted, “Oh, way too difficult!!! They will NEVER make it to the top” and “Not a chance. The tow-er is too high”.

The tiny frogs began collapsing, one by one except for those who, in a fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher…. The crowd continued to yell, “It’s too difficult! No one will make it!” More tiny frogs got tired and gave up… But one continued higher and higher. This one wouldn’t give up! And he reached the top. Everyone wanted to know how this one frog managed such a great feat.

His secret? This little frog was deaf!! The wisdom of this story is: Ignore the pessimism of others.

It can take your dreams from

you. Stay positive.

In NASA, in the USA, there is a

beautiful poster of a bee, which

reads: “Aerodynamically, the

body of a bee is not made to fly;

the good thing is that the bee

does not know “.

‘Always forgive your enemies; noth-

ing annoys them so much’ – Oscar

Wilde

‘To live is the rarest thing in the

world. Most people exist, that is all’

–Oscar Wilde

‘Nothing is impossible, the word

itself says I’m possible’ – Audrey

Hepburn

‘All you need is love. But a little

Quote GEMS chosen by Narayana

Rai

‘No one can make you feel inferior

without your consent’ – Eleanor

Roosevelt

‘In three words I can sum up every-

thing I’ve learned about life: ‘it goes

on’ – Robert Frost

chocolate now and then doesn’t

hurt’ – Charles M Schultz

‘Anyone who has never made a

mistake has never tried anything

new’ – Albert Einstein

“ A creative man is motivated by the

desire to achieve, not by the desire

to beat others” – Ayn Rand

GEMS FOR THOUGHT

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The Mela is biggest event of the year for IAASA. In this year’s Mela we focussed on families and kids making it a very family friendly event. The event began at 11am with people coming in and posing for photos at the beautiful entrance that was ide-al as a backdrop for photos. A photo opportunity was also available where our face could be framed by tradi-tional Indian dress! Made by our extremely talented duo Saloni and Meenakshi Shubhraj, this frame was a great hit! People had some time to go around the market stalls, information stalls, food stalls etc and then, we started off with an interactive Garba workshop! This certainly made the early arrivals feel part of the Mela and they had something enjoyable to do and get involved in. So it was time to Mela to shake a leg and have fun in-stead of just sitting and watching performances. And this was proved even more so in the Kids’ Korner. Children usually get restless when they have to sit and watch performances for some time even as parents want to do so. This time kids had so many craft activities and other things to do that they had no time to get bored! Thanks to Neelam and her team of volunteers and helpers, children learned to make origami cranes, dream catchers, wall hangings, thread paintings and many other things. Along with continuous colouring activities, there were games, yoga and circus workshops and, if that wasn’t enough, there was even a lucky draw and the kids were kept entertained by stilt walkers and other circus entertainers at regular intervals! A Jumping Castle, Rocky Horse Ride and other fun things to do kept the little ones active! And to keep those active bodies going, there was lots space for activities on the ground and we included sports clinics too. The Footy Clinic by SANFL was hugely popular as was the Cricket Clinic by SACA. Kids and adults were seen playing here and learning the ropes of Aussie Rules till nearly the end of the day! Along with the interactive dancing that started off Mela 2018, there were other on-ground activities that young and old could participate in. Including circus tricks and Maharashtrian lezim dancing and drumming. One of the more interesting and greatly enjoyed dances was an interactive flash mob by women of all ages. The songs were of different languages, so the dancing was in different styles too. The audience was invited to join in the slightly practiced moves of the flash mob and lots did, making it a very fun mob!!

Mela 2018

IAASA NEWSLETTER 2017-18 VOLUME 3

With best compliments from

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Mela was attended by the Governor General, the then Premier Jay Weatherill, then Leader of Opposition and current Premier - Stephen Marshall and many other parliamentarians and dignitaries. It was an honour to host them at the Mela. The official segment started at 6pm with the VIP’s entering to the beats of the dhol by Shivgarjana. After a welcome speech by the President, Narayana Rai, the Governor General, His Excellency Hieu Van Le began his speech with a line in Hindi! Interspersed with beautiful dances, there were a couple more speeches and the entertainment continued. The performances throughout the day were of a very high calibre and was enjoyed by all. Cultural coordinator, Saloni Gadhia put a lot of effort into making sure there was a good representation of classical, semi-classical and folk dances from different regions of India. There was also ample time for live music and 3 different bands including a junior band from Kalalaya had the opportunity to showcase their talent and entertain the audience. The music presented by Kalalaya and Talash was excellent and very enjoyable! This was followed by the DJ at the end and people joined the dance floor and wanted more! A very successful and extremely enjoyable Mela indeed! It was all due to the hard work and efforts of the Mela Committee headed by Sam Dahm, other committee members and all who assisted them. Congratulations on a job well done! It has been a long time since there were so many interactive performances and audience in-volvement. We were, however, disappointed with the attendance this year. It was, possibly, due to other events on the same day. But also a lesson to be remembered that an Association activity is made possible by its members and attendance by members and their friends is crucial. We are very grateful for your support. Thank you to all the participants, volunteers and stall holders especially Odella Panelli who put up and ran the IAASA coffee, tea stall fantastically (as usual) and Susila Palaniappan who made hot snacks. Many thanks to all of you who came and spent time with us and helped make Mela 2018 a fantastic event! And that is what the Mela is all about… all of us coming together as a community, spending time with family and friends, enjoying music and dance from our homeland and having a wonderful time! We will cherish the time we had at this Mela and look forward to next year!

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IAASA NEWSLETTER 2017-2018 VOLUME 3

Over the next few months the IAASA Community Centre will be undergoing a number of changes. In the first

instance, an in-depth financial review was carried out by the Treasurer, Manna Abraham, to determine the low-

est possible hire charges that could be charged for the Centre in order to keep the Centre affordable for its

members whilst remain financially sustainable. These fees were adopted by the Committee and are listed in this

Newsletter. Furthermore, a formal detailed contract between the Hirer’s and IAASA has been prepared so that

both parties have common expectations of what IAASA provides and the conditions of how the Centre is to be

left upon completion of hire.

Security will be improved. There will also be changes to lock and key systems and camera surveillance/security

will be installed. There shall be works on paving, guttering, signage, partitioning, and improved lighting to list a

few. As a result, the Centre may be unavailable on occasions. We look forward to patience from current existing

users and potential hirers.

Please contact the Centre Manager, Niral Patel on 0400 626 949 or Manna Abraham on 0426 466 126 (A/H) for

further details or bookings.

IAASA COMMUNITY CENTRE

Hindi classes

Basic Hindi and conversational Hindi classes to be held on Saturdays at lunch time. If

you feel as if you should know at least one Indian language or you have a partner of

non-Indian origin interested in learning the language - here's the chance. Do get in

touch with Susila Palani if interested.

Women’s Dancercise Group

Women meet weekly - every 1st & 3rd Wednesday and every 2nd & 4th Thurs-day of the month to have a fun session of dancing and other exercise activities. 7.00-8.00pm at the IAASACC Hall. If you are interested please contact Saloni Gad-hia on 0406 436 569

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Conversational English, IELTS exam preparation, job applica-

tion and interview preparation are all being supported by

our very enthusiastic teachers. Feedback from those attend-

ing has been very positive. Cost: $4 for the 2 hour session

with experienced teachers (discount for IAASA members and

bulk payment). Please send your name, phone number and

email address to

communityprogramsiaasa@gmail.com

English With Purpose Note change of time:

Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30am - 12:30pm

Wednesdays 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Saturday

2:30pm - 4:30pm

Piano Prospect Community Council has kindly donated the IAASACC a piano. If

you or a family member have an interest in learning it, please get in touch.

Art classes, sewing, knitting and crochet Right brain activity is crucial for all of us at all ages. Individuals who are able to assist with teaching skills in all these fields are available. Let us know of interest and preferred times.

Bridge There's enough knowledge among our members to start bridge sessions amongst ourselves

if enough interest is gauged. Contact us with interest and preferred times.

Carpet bowls Prospect Council has kindly donated equipment to run carpet bowls. It is a very worthwhile

indoor activity to commence at our Centre to help with physical and mental well be-ing. Expressions of interest with preferred times would make it easier to organise.

Did you know that IAASA

offer free Pranayam Yoga

sessions every week.

When: Every Saturday

08.00 am

Where: IAASA Hall, 6

Blamey Ave, Broadview

GUITAR CLASSES

Group guitar classes have now shifted to Monday nights between 6:30-

7:30pm. Guitars are available for hire. Teaching is available for adults and children (with parents present) alike for

very acceptable prices.

If you have some time to spare and any skill set that IAASA can use such as running one of these community programs or helping with one of them or with general support such as policy write-up, maintaining the IAASACC, organising events, please step forward. It's a valuable opportunity to support the community and broaden yourself. Contact Susila Palani, Community Programs Coordinator, on 0402 248 835 or email community@iaasa.com.au expressing your interest in attending classes or running any classes or for further information.

Volunteers

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“To catch the

reader's attention,

place an

interesting

sentence or quote

from the story

here.”

Report by Deepak

Vasisht

AUSTRALIA DAY PARADE

When it comes to showing cultural diversity of India, IAASA does it the best. This year again IAASA participat-ed in the Australia Day Pa-rade in the city of Adelaide. We were there with a float, the Shivgarjana drummers and members of the commu-nity walking behind the IAASA Banner. It was very eye-catching and the rhythm of the drummers had many who were watching on the road side dancing!

India's unique and rich cul-tural diversity was depicted in the regional dresses worn by the members and volun-teers on a float/tableau in front of a large audience. Dresses from Himachal Pra-desh, Punjab, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Tamilnadu were shown along with the posters of our re-spected Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Bhagat Singh.

It is always a wonderful feel-ing to walk down King Wil-

liam Street as part of this huge Multicultural Parade in which many different com-munities participate in their national costumes, accompa-nied by dancing and music. So it was with the Indian Contingent. Everyone wear-ing different traditional wear and waving Indian and Aus-tralian flags made it even more multicultural.

IAASA would like to thank all the volunteers, who made this a success with their hearts and hard work.

Caption

describing

picture or

graphic.

I A A S A N E W S L E T T E R

HALL HIRE

DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN HIRE THE IAASA

COMMUNITY CENTRE FOR PERSONAL EVENTS,

FUNCTIONS, OR BUSINESS MEETINGS. IT IS LOCATED

CLOSE TO THE CITY IN BROADVIEW (6 BLAMEY AVENUE).

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HIRE COSTS, FACILITY

DETAILS AND OTHER ARRANGEMENTS, PLEASE CONTACT

Hall Coordinator (Mr Niral Patel: 0400 626 949)

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We are looking for

sponsors for future

Meet & Greet

events. The spon-

sor will be a spe-

cial guest and can

choose to give a

talk.

NEWSLETTER ADVER-

TISMENT RATES

QYARTER PAGE—$25.00

HALF PAGE— $50.00

FULL PAGE—$100.00

IAASA NEWSLETTER 2017-2018 VOLUME 3

President: Mr Narayan Rai Peradka

Vice President: Mr Mandeep Rikhi

Secretary: Mr Sam Dahm

Treasurer: Ms Manna Abraham

Committee Members:

Mr Deepak Vasisht

Mr Dhruv Kumar

Mr Gagan Sharma

Mr Gurdeep Singh

Mr Hargobind Singh

Ms Saloni Gadhia

Mr Sunil Bhatia

Co-opted Members:

Mr Amarjit Grewal

Ms Susila Palani

IAASA Community Centre Coordinator:

Mr Niral Patel

INDIAN AUSTRALIAN

ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH

AUSTRALIA INC

6 Blamey Avenue,

Broadview SA 5083

PO Box 82, Tynte Street,

North Adelaide SA 5006

www.iaasa.com.au

iaaofsa@gmail.com

Your Committee