HINDI KAVI SAMMELAN organized by AKHIL VISHWA HINDI SAMITI, NEW YORK
Date: November 16, 2019
Day: Saturday
Time: 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Location: Hindu Center, 42-52 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11355
Contact: Sushma Malhotra –Cultural Secretary -718 640 5259
Saturday, November 16, 2019, Akhil Vishwa Hindi Samiti, Inc, New York (AVHS) organized a Hindi Poetry Recital (Kavi Sammelan) at Hindi Center Kissena, Blvd., New York, to promote Hindi language, literature, and Indian culture. This Kavi Sammelan was organized by Sushma Malhotra, the Cultural Secretary of Akhil Vishwa Hindi Samiti, and attended by a large number of Hindi poets, doctors, educationists, and students from the New York Public Schools. The Kavi Sammelan was presided over by Dr. Vijay Mehta, the president of Akhil Vishwa Hindi Samiti, General Secretary Dr. Ved Malhotra, and Yoga and Indian Cultural Acharya Dr. Dayashankar Vidyalankar from Consulate General of India, New York. The program started with Deep Prajavalan (lighting the lamps) and the prayer mantras recite by Dr. K.K. Dixit, head priest at Hindu Center, NY. Then followed with Saraswati Vandana by Seema Kalia an Indian cultural artist from Vienna, Austria, Ganesh Vandana performance by Angel Tandon, a high school student, and Ma Sharda Vandana by Parkash Latchminarine also a high school student.
Many renowned local poets recited their poems. To mention a few were Dr. Dayashankar Vidyalankar, Dr. Vijay Mehta, Dr. Madan Lal Mistri, Dr. Rajni Goyal, Dr. Mangala Sand, Mrs. Purnima Desai, Mrs. Pushap Malhotra, Mrs. Sushma Malhotra, and Mr. Deepak Arora. Arihant Tiwari a student from a high school recited “Khooni Hastakshar” a Hindi poem written by a renowned Indian poet Sh. Gopal Prasad Vyas. Every one praised Arihant for his effective recital of the poem. At the end Akhil Vishwa Hindi Samiti announced the launching of its website.
The main attraction of the program was the honoring of Sushma Malhotra, an educationist, poetess and a writer with a citation from Mr. Eric L. Adam, President of the Borough of Brooklyn, City of New York. The citation was read by Mr. Dilip Chauhan, Director, Southeast/Asian Affairs Borough of Brooklyn, NY and presented by Dr. Dayashankar Vidyalankar and Dr. Vijay Mehta.
While accepting the honor Sushma Malhotra said, “It is such a proud moment for me and my family that I am receiving this Citation from Eric L. Adam, the President of the Borough of Brooklyn, New York City. I am receiving this citation because of my passion and love for Hindi language and Indian culture. While working at New York City Public schools I noticed there was no Hindi language instruction for heritage and native speakers of Hindi. First of all I initiated the New York State Hindi language Regents examination for the students emigrating from India to the United States of America after the age of 11. Since 2007 many students take the Hindi and Punjabi Regents examination and earn language credits. I won STARTALK Federal grant from the National Security Agency to teach Hindi as one of the critical languages. Since 2009 every year about 45 to 50 students attended the STARTALK Summer Hindi program, learned Hindi language, and got exposure to the Indian culture. This year after the STARTALK summer program the students started Indian Languages and Cultural Club at Forest Hills High School and continued learning Hindi on Saturdays as well. I, as a cultural secretary of Akhil Vishwa Hindi Samiti, organized various Indian cultural programs and poetry recitals. I have published two poetry books in Hindi as well. I feel grateful to the teachers, parents, students, Akhil Vishwa Hindi Samiti, NY, and Consulate General of India, New York to support me to continue my work for Hindi language. My work for Hindi would have not been possible without their support. I will continue my work to promote Hindi language as I dream to have Hindi included as one of the foreign languages in the New York City Public Schools. I must thank Almighty for enabling me to do this work! Lastly I would like to thank you great community leader Dilip Chauhan for his support and guidance. Thanks to all for your support.”
Overall the poetic recital was a great success with the attendance of many renowned people of Indian diaspora like Dr. Parveen Chopra, Dr. Ravi Goel, Dr. Sandhya Malhotra, Dr. Shiv Lal Goyal, Dr. Usha Tandon, Mrs. Ambalika Mishra, Mr. Surinder Kathuria, Mr. Pardeep Tandon, Mr. Ravinder Kumar, Mr. Jatinder Sharma, and Educationists, Mrs. Charnjit Kaur, Kamini Mehta, and Shukla Kapoor along with many more Indian community members and students.
The Kavi Sammelan concluded with Aarti (prayer) and vegetarian delicious dinner.
Photo Caption:
1.Shalini, Mr. Madan, Pandit Tripathi Ji, Dilip Chauhan- Director of Southeast/ Asian Affairs for Brooklyn Borough President Honoring Sushma Malhotra with Citation Dr. Ved Malhotra, and Satish Gupta
2.Dr. Vijay Mehta During Kavi Sammelan.
3.Audience Enjoying Hindi Poem
4.Dilip Chauhan Presenting Citation to Sushma Malhotra for her work in promoting Hindi.
