Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 4 CITY VIEWS June 13, 2025 Elected Officials And Community Members Celebrate Eid-Al-Adha In Jersey City T he festival of Eid-al-Adha was celebrated with great enthusiasm, unity, and community spirit at Lincoln Park in Jersey City, NJ on June 6, 2025. The event brought together people from diverse backgrounds to mark the occasion with prayers, reflections, and messages of civic engagement. The celebration saw the participation of several prominent public figures. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and a New Jersey gubernatorial candidate addressed the gathering, underscoring the importance of voting rights and civic responsibility. They were joined by Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis, Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari, and Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea. Also in attendance were Jersey City council members-at-large, New Jersey State Assembly members, and mayors from neighboring cities. Former New Jersey Governor JimMcGreevey, now a mayoral candidate for Jersey City, and fellow candidate Mussab Ali were present and interacted with the community. Community activist Arjumand Juweria thanked all attendees and acknowledged the strong sense of unity and inclusion shown by the community on the auspi- cious occasion. By Daana Kamal, Special to Desi Talk PHOTOS:Mohammed Jaffer/SnapsIndia Eid greetings being exchanged by attendees at the celebrations of Eid-al-Adha June 6, 2025, at Lincoln Park in Jersey City, NJ. Elected officials and leaders at the Eid al Adha celebrations in Lincoln Park, June 6, in Jersey City, NJ. Hoboken city Mayor Ravi Bhalla who is serving as a 2nd term as Mayor of HoboKen City contesting for NJ Assembly greets muslins on the day of Eid on June 6. Jaipur Foot USA Hosts Indian Minister Of State In New York T he USA Chapter of Jaipur Foot, a non-profit organization that sup- plies prosthetics to the disabled and is known worldwide, recently hosted India’s Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale, in Long Island. The dinner was hosted by Chairman of Jaipur Foot USA Prem Bhangari and president of Rajasthan Association of North America, a press release from the organization said. A publication on 50 years of the Jaipur Foot organization, being held up by Prem Bhandari, president of the organization, and India’s Minister of State Ramdas Atha- wale, at the Long Island, NY event. Minister Athawale shares a longstand- ing association with Jaipur Foot USA. In 2023, he inaugurated two major camps for the differently-abled (Divyangjan) in Hyderabad and Tirupati. These camps were organized in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of NY, NJ, CT & NE) and Jaipur Foot USA’s parent body, Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS). Speaking at the event, Bhandari high- lighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s declaration of the “Panch Teerth” — five sacred sites associated with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s life: 1. Mhow – his birthplace, 2. Nagpur – Deeksha Bhoomi, 3. London – where he pursued higher education, 4. Delhi – where he passed away, 5. Mumbai – where he was cremated. To commemorate Dr. Ambedkar’s 125th birth anniversary in 2016, BMVSS orga- nized two Jaipur Foot camps — one in Mhow and the other at Deeksha Bhoomi in Nagpur. Mr. Bhandari announced that, under the guidance of BMVSS Founder and Chief Patron Padma Bhushan Shri D.R. Mehta, preparations are underway for upcoming camps in Delhi and Mum- bai. He expressed gratitude for the contin- ued support that BMVSS and Jaipur Foot USA have received from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of External Affairs, under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi. Bhandari also commended India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador P. Harish, for organizing a special event at the UN on June 10 on Jaipur Foot and BMVSS to showcase India’s pioneering work in lower limb disability empowerment. The event will feature the impactful contributions of BMVSS in India and globally. BMVSS Founder and Chief Patron D.R. Mehta and BMVSS President Ambassador Satish Mehta will arrive in NewYork on June 9 to participate in the event. Since its inception in 1975, BMVSS has benefited over 2.4 million differently- abled individuals by providing them with Jaipur Foot and other assistive devices. The organization has conducted 114 international camps in 44 countries, including 32 camps under the ‘India for Humanity’ initiative — fully sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs, Govern- ment of India, to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Bhandari, who recently visited Gua- temala and Trinidad & Tobago, said that Jaipur Foot camps have been approved by the Ministry of External Affairs in Guate- mala – 600 limbs; Sudan – 600 limbs; and Trinidad & Tobago – 800 limbs. All three camps will be conducted later this year. An artificial limb fitment center will soon be opened in Malawi with MEA support, following the announcement made by President Droupadi Murmu last year, Bhandari added. Minister Athawale assured Bhandari of his full support for the upcoming camps in Delhi and Mumbai, and also praised the work carried out by Jaipur Foot USA’s parent organization BMVSS in India and around the world. He assured the gath- ering he would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider establishing a memorial for Dr. Ambedkar in NewYork. In response, Bhandari stated that his fam- ily would be the first to contribute toward this noble cause. The dinner was attended by prominent community leaders and members from RANA, Jaipur Foot USA, BRUHUD Seniors NewYork, AIA, AAPI, RAJMAI, REDIO, and other Indian-American organizations. Numerous other public officials and com- munity leaders were also present. By a StaffWriter PHOTOS: Jaipur FootUSA India’s Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale, was recently hosted in Long Island, at a dinner was hosted by Chairman of Jaipur Foot USA Prem Bhandari who is also president of Rajasthan Association of North America. A publication on 50 years of the Jaipur Foot organization, being held up by Prem Bhandari, president of the organization, and India’s Minister of State Ramdas Athawale, at the Long Island, NY event.