Rockland County Legislature honors Five Indian activists as part of India Heritage Month

New York: As part of the India Heritage Month celebrations, Rockland County Legislature honored five community activists, whose selfless work contributed to make the county a better place. Dr. Aney Paul, County Legislator presented the awards

The award winners were Sunny Nainan (Sunny Kallooppara-actor and community worker), Saji M. Pothan (Fokana Trustee Board chair), Joseph Illiparampil (longtime community leader) psychiatrist and writer Dr Raghunath Mehta and Ajayveer Chapotkat (pioneering work in many fields)
She thanked Assemblyman Ken Zebrowsky for his efforts to pass a bill declaring August as the India Heritage Month in New York State.
‘Heritage is the heart of our communities, including cultural traditions, histories, performances, and more. It plays a crucial role in fostering diversity, social unity, and economic development. One's heritage and roots is something to be proud of and cherished,’ she noted.
‘Today we have 5 honorees who contributed significantly to our community to make our county a better place for everyone. They all are committed to advocate for the people and making a difference in our community. Their hard work and determination is commendable.’ She said

Bios
Ajayveer Chapotkat
Ajayveer has been a dedicated volunteer in many organizations and volunteers at various sports-related events. He involved in India Cultural Society of Rockland,.Arts Promotion and Literacy Activities.

For the past twenty-five years, Ajayveer Chapotkat has dedicated his time to volunteering at various sports-related events.
He has served as a referee and field event judge for high school track and field competitions, officiated at the Paralympics and Warrior Games (for wounded and amputated soldiers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Additionally, in his spare time, Ajayveer has tutored student-athletes, many from minority backgrounds, in math and science subjects.

Ajayveer has twice served as President of the India Cultural Society of Rockland, where he was a board member for nearly 25 years. As President and board member, he organized several large-scale events for the Rockland County community, such as the India Day Parade and the India Day Festival and He also introduced several new programs.

Ajayveer has been a core member of the Ekal Vidyalaya (One School) Foundation for the past twenty years. This organization is one of the largest NGOs in the world, dedicated to eradicating illiteracy in rural India. He has been instrumental in raising the largest amount of funds for Ekal Vidyalaya in the United States by organizing fundraising concerts, coordinating artist accommodations, and addressing their needs.

Ajayveer has actively coordinated educational exchange programs in Rockland County, facilitating visits of mainstream students to India to familiarize them with the Indian education system and culture. Conversely, he has also organized visits of Indian students to attend schools in Rockland County. His efforts included raising funds for these reciprocal visits, organizing accommodations, and handling general administrative coordination.

Arts Promotion -Ajayveer Chapotkat founded Arts from India, Inc., and Bharatiya Kala Kendra, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, to promote and educate people in the United States about India’s rich and diverse art and culture. He hosts concert series, shows, festivals, and workshops featuring traditional Indian music, dance, puppetry, textiles, paintings, and cuisine. During the pandemic, he organized several online concerts to support and encourage artists. He remains unwavering in his beliefs and commitment to serving our community. Your passion for serving the community is truly inspiring. Keep up the fantastic work .

Joseph Illiparampil

Joseph Illiparampil has been volunteering in the community for many years even before he moved in to RocklandCounty in 1979. He believes serving the community is his responsibility and it's an important to help individuals and communities in need. He is part of leadership to bring Indian Community together in Rockland County and in the New York area. He is a motivator, an advisor and a mentor. He served in many organizations including Active Member of Kerala Samajam of Greater New York and Auditor
Founder Member and First Treasurer of India Catholic association and later Board of Trustee Chairperson.
Founder Member and First Auditor and third president of Hudson Valley Malayalee Assn and later Board of trustee member.
Founding member and first auditor of FOKANA.
Eucharistic Minister St. Joseph Church Spring Valley.
Founding member of Syro Malabar Catholic Mission of Rockland and served in various committees.
Served in various committees including parish council member Trustee and served as a Eucharistic Minister at Holy Family Catholic Church, Westley Hills.
His dedication as a founding member of many organization have contributed significantly to the success of our community.
He is a tireless advocate for the community and has exemplified the values of hard work, leadership, and commitment to excellence.
His commitment to improving the community around him is amazing.

Sunny Kallooppara
Sunny Kallooppara was born in Kallooppara, in the Pathanamthitta District in Kerala. He migrated to New York, USA in 1984. Currently, he lives in New York with his wife and three children. He works as a QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTOR at Chromalloy, New York.
He is a community activist and an actor and received many awards for that.

He is very active in many organizations and held responsible positions . ‘The President’ of the Malayalee association of Rockland, FOMAA (Federation of Malayalee Associations of Americas), Hudson valley Malayalee Association, ‘St. Thomas Mar Thoma Yuvajana Sakhyam, He has volunteered in Eye for the Blind, Home for Homeless, and Meals on Wheels

As the National Committee Member, he served as the National Coordinator for Cultural Program, Convention Convener in Philadelphia National Convention and Drama Coordinator. He was also the content editor of Akshara Keralam, a magazine published by FOMAA.

He proved his acting skills from School and college levels and received many awards and including the title of Kalaprathibha of All Kerala Balajana Sakhyam and Best Actor in School and College competitions and Best Actor at the Intercollegiate Drama Competitions. Though he is a busy professional in his industry, he is giving enough importance to his passion and always keen to deliver the best performance whenever he gets an opportunity.
He upheld his passion for acting and continued the process of looking for better acting opportunities and to work with creative and experienced professionals.
He promoted Malayalam dramas with mind-blowing stage performances in the US at a time when American Malayalees were not familiar with the Drama Art Form.

He introduced more than twenty dramas and performed in more than two hundred stages. These stage performances were primarily used for Charity Fund Raising purposes.. He acted in more than 20 TV serials and a lot of web series. His serials appeared in a number of TV Channels including Asianet and Surya. His inborn passion for dramas led him to associate with professional acting groups in the US.
He received many awards for his Artistic talents .(including NY Westchester Unifest Kalaprathibha organized by Malayalam Pathram, Best Actor at Manishi International Drama Competition of Philadelphia, Best Actor in Comedy at International Film Festival at Washington DC, and Best Actor at FOMAA Drama Comp.

Saji M. Pothen
Saji M. Pothen has been deeply involved in various community services and feels a strong connection to social responsibilities. He believes that these opportunities have not only allowed him to gain new experiences but have also fostered meaningful connections within the community. By bridging gaps between different groups of the population, Saji's efforts foster unity and mutual support.
In Rockland County and across New York state, Saji has been an active participant in numerous community organizations. Currently, he serves as the President of the Hudson Valley Malayalee Association (HVMA), the Federation of Kerala Association of North America (FOKANA) and held many positions.
His dedication to his cultural and religious community is evident through his membership in the Indian Orthodox Church in Suffern, NY. He has been involved in numerous charity projects both in the US and India. One of Saji's notable contributions is his leadership in organizing the annual 5K Run/Walk events, where proceeds support various health organizations, such as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Breast Cancer Foundation, and the National Alliance for Mental Illness. This year, he has the privilege of being the Convenor for the 5K for Autism. His efforts in these events demonstrate his commitment to addressing critical health issues and supporting those in need.
His leadership extends to the Joint Council of Churches of Rockland (JCCR), in many capacities, His commitment to JCCR spans over 25 years, during which he has organized and conducted annual blood drives. He also involved in Northeast American Diocese And Held many positions.
In addition to these roles, Saji actively participates in other community organizations, always ready to offer help whenever needed. His collective efforts in community service have played a crucial role in driving positive social change and building a stronger, more united community. Through his unwavering dedication and tireless work, Saji M. Pothen continues to be a pillar of support and an inspiration to many within the community.

Dr. Raghunath Mehta

Dr. Raghunath Mehta is a psychiatrist in Orangeburg, New York and is affiliated with Rockland Psychiatric Center. He received his medical degree from Calcutta National Medical College and has been in practice . He is the author/editor of more than 30 publications related to mental Health and presented many Grand Rounds/Lectures .Dr. Mehta has served on many professional committees and held many positions in medical and community organizations. He remains unwavering in his beliefs and commitment to serving our community.

Founding member of Indo American Psychiatric Association in 1976, established free mental health clinic in Queens without insurance and volunteered mental health services from 1976 to 1981.

Founding member of Indian Cultural Society of Rockland which provides diverse cultural activities for all ages.

On the board of Jeevan Jyoti a Senior support group established by Suresh and Mamta Arya. He was the president for two years and have been engaged in monthly guest lectures on diverse subjects and before the pandemic we were also holding quarterly educational and informational seminars. Jeevan Jyoti is Premier Senior support group recognized by Rockland County office for Aging.

On the Advisory Board of Rockland County office for Aging.The office is involved in providing services to all seniors of Rockland County.he is involved in reviewing the programs with other board members.

On the Board of “Greater Mental Health of New York”. This organization provides mental health services to people of Rockland County and Westchester County including members of Indian Community. He is also active in Rotary club of Pearl River.

Dr. Raghunath Mehta has made outstanding contributions to the medical field and to the community. He has dedicated his career to improve the lives of others. We are honored to recognize Dr. Hehta for his exceptional contributions to the community.