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The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin’s Virginia chapter, GOPIO-Virginia, celebrated its 17th anniversary and India’s 80th Independence Day with an awards ceremony and cultural performances on August 23 at the Marriott in Herndon, Virginia.
GOPIO President and Chairman Jay Bhandari said the organization’s mission is to “empower, educate, and enhance” the community by fostering “civic engagement, leadership, and active participation” in society. He said Indian Americans have played a significant role in strengthening ties between the United States and India through their contributions across diverse sectors.
“This evening, we are honored to recognize exceptional individuals whose accomplishments, professional excellence, and dedication to society exemplify the highest ideals of our community,” Bhandari added.
The honorees were Dr. Hiren Pokharna for medicine, Dr. V.K. Raju for philanthropy, Dr. Siva Subramanian for education, Dr. Javad K. Hassan for technology, Dr. C.M. Prasad for social services, and Lalit Jha and T. Vishnudatta Jayaraman for journalism.
GOPIO Vice Presidents Johnson Myalil and Ram Gupta also joined Bhandari and dignitaries to honor the awardees.
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, who represents Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, congratulated GOPIO-Virginia for its “great work” and commended the award recipients for their dedication to their respective fields.
Subramanyam highlighted the importance of relations between the world’s two largest democracies and encouraged constituents to contact his office for assistance with immigration-related matters.
“We’re celebrating India’s Independence Day, which is great, as well as America’s 250th. And it’s important to recognize the strong relationship between the two largest democracies in the world and how we should continue to strive to strengthen that relationship,” he said.
The congressman acknowledged that immigrant communities are facing a difficult period. He urged those experiencing problems involving U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or other immigration enforcement agencies to seek assistance from his office. “We’re here to help,” he stressed.
Subramanyam also pointed to the increasing political representation of South Asians in Virginia as a sign of the community’s growing influence.
Virginia State Sen. Saddam Salim described community success as a “collective effort” intended to benefit future generations. He said the progress made by Indian Americans across the United States and around the world is evident in fields ranging from the arts and music to technology.
“I think that’s the part most people forget,” Salim stressed.
Underscoring the contributions of Indian Americans as the United States celebrates 250 years of independence, Salim said, “I think many of us in this room will be looking forward to not only celebrating many more years in America, but also the fact that you are part of the American story.”
Virginia State Sen. Jennifer Boysko emphasized the importance of representation and preserving cultural history as part of the broader American identity.
“We have continued to elect people who look like the people who live in our communities, and I think it’s important for our young students to be able to see people in power who look like them and who have a similar experience,” Boysko said. She also emphasized the importance of teaching younger generations about their history and preserving their culture.
“This is such an important piece of our American fabric,” she added. “I’m so pleased to live in a community that is welcoming and inclusive and recognizes talent from all kinds of people.”
Maddy White, representing Rep. James Walkinshaw, announced that the award recipients’ accomplishments had been entered into the Congressional Record in their honor.
Ten-year-old Aneira Banwar, who recently won the National American Miss Virginia Jr. title, presented her “Healing Bear” initiative, which seeks to provide comfort to children in hospitals.
First Secretary (Consular) Vinayak Patil from the Embassy of India also spoke at the event, which also featured several cultural performances.
