The Bay Area’s Indian American community gathered on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025 in a vibrant display of cultural pride and patriotic fervor to celebrate India’s 76th Republic Day at the India Community Center.
Several of the local community and language-based organizations participated in the celebration organized by the Association of Indo Americans in the presence of Consul General Dr. Srikar Reddy, Congressman Ro Khanna, a representative from Congressman Sam Liccardo’s office, Assemblymembers Ash Kalra and Alex Lee. Local officials including Fremont’s first Indian-American elected Mayor, Raj Salwan, Liang Chao, Mayor of Cupertino; Supervisors Otto Lee and Elisa Marquez and Rinu Nair, the youngest-ever woman elected to the Fremont Unified School District board joined the festivities among others.
In his speech, Congressman Ro Khanna emphasized the importance of Dr. Ambedkar’s role and the influence of W. E. B. Du Bois in crafting the Indian Constitution.
“[He] believed in the fundamental equality of all people, regardless of religion, regardless of status, regardless of past, regardless of geography, and in a time in the world where we have greater parochialism, greater ethnic nationalism, it is a reminder of The values of pluralism and diversity that really are foundational to the best of democracy,” he said.
More than a thousand guests attended or participated in the event, Bay Area-based diaspora businesses like realtor Nagaraj Anniah, Srini Goli Real Estate, realtor Shikha Kapoor, Insta Service, PNG Jewelers, MCS Master Class & Mahakal Temple sponsored the celebrations.
