Shanti Niwas Charitable Trust Inc. celebrated India’s 74th Independence Day along with its members, community leaders and dignitaries on the online portal zoom, following the restrictions put under alert Level-3 lockdown in Auckland. More than 100 people participated in an hour and half, long programme.
This programme was celebrated in line with Shanti Niwas’s earlier initiative taken during the first nation wide Level-4 lockdown. Shanti Niwas followed all the government laid regulations to run programmes safely online, to keep all the seniors active and engaged and taking care of their wellbeing at the same time.
Shanti Niwas is having virtual meetings every day with seniors and providing them support by identifying their needs. They day long programmes include playing games like Housie/Tambola, singing, running cooking competition and many such other activities.
Shanti Niwas has not stopped providing social support to its members even during the lockdown period. They organise everything online on Zoom to keep seniors active, engaged, and healthy
In the Independence Day programme, the prominent community and dignitaries included MPs like Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Paramjit Parmar, and Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, NZ Police Ethnic Manager Jessica Phuang, Ethnic Liaison Coordinator Rajen Cotter, Dhiru Bhai & Nanette Nathoo from Auckland Indian Association, Kamal Shrestha from Nepali Cultural Centre, NZ, Jyothi Muddam from Telengana Jagruthi NZ, Srilata Magatala from Auckland Tamil Association, Sucharita Verma of Sahaayta, Shivani Arora from India Gate and Vishal Rishi from The Asian Network.
The programme started with singing of India’s national anthem and it was followed by small speeches from the dignitaries. All participants paid rich tributes to the freedom fighters who laid their lives in India’s freedom struggle, fighting against British rule. Many seniors expressed their views and thoughts, rendered poems, and sang songs on this occasion. All participating members and invited guests appreciated Shanti Niwas’s initiative of celebrating virtual Independence Day celebrations in the prevalent conditions in New Zealand. Anyone wanting to join these activities can call Nilima Venkat on 021 2028406 or Jyoti Parashar on 021 2082915.
-Yugal Parashar