With the unusual warmth from the January sun, the volunteers from India Discovery Center assembled at Holi Restaurant in Bedford, MA, on Sunday, January 31, 2016, for an afternoon of fellowship and food.  They were hosted by the chef-entrepreneur Mr. Goni who retained a long association with the IDC President Dr. Bijoy Misra.  Mr. Goni was a marvelous host who prepared and laid out varieties of freshly prepared Indian curries and chutneys on the serving tables.  India was discovered in the west for her spices.  Holi restaurant is helping to permeate the flavor of Indian cuisine in the western suburb of Boston. 

The event was graced by the veteran Boston activist Mr. Mooraj Mathur.  At ninety years of age Mr. Mathur is a symbol of Indian tradition of yoga and good health.  The inception of India Discovery Center had happened more than thirty years ago through Mr. Mathur’s initiation at an evening meeting in the house of Mr. Kidar Vaid and Mrs. Kanti Vaid in Brookline, MA.   Mr. and Mrs. Vaid could not join the lunch because of indisposition.  They did send their good wishes to the event.

Attending the lunch was Dr. Sajed Kamal, the poet-activist from Bangladesh.  Dr. Kamal is a pioneering contributor to the activities of the South Asian Poets of New England group hosted by India Discovery Center.  His wife, the social activist, Mrs. Rosie Kamal also joined.  Dr. Kamal serves as a judge in the High School Essay competition conducted by IDC.  Along with the Kamals, the prominent Gandhian Dr. Parmod Thaker attended the event.  A sympathizer and a reporter, Pramodbhai is a mentor to the volunteers in the IDC.      

Dr. Misra introduced eighteen IDC volunteers that attended the event. Mr. Goni and Mr. Sanjay from the Restaurant came by and welcomed the party.  They talked about their long association with Dr. Misra and offered their services to the organization.  Mr. Mathur spoke about the diversity of the Indian diaspora.  He stressed the need for the discovery of a common theme.  He encouraged all to work hard in order to help preserve the Indian culture in the foreign land.  Dr. Kamal defined India as a concept, not bounded by political boundaries.  He said India led the world in humanitarian work and called on everyone to raise a voice for peace in the world. 

Dr. Thaker in his characteristic humility invited all not to be confined in words, but to be models of activism.   Mrs. Kamal stressed on the inclusivity in the journey.  She thanked all for integrating her in the larger Indian family.   Mr. Sanjeev Tripathi took the opportunity to recite his newly composed Hindi poem written on the occasion of the 66th anniversary of India’s Republic Day, celebrated on January 26, 201.  Through a melodic presentation, he called upon all to respect the political unity of the country https://youtu.be/RI7Eky062pc

Food was of excellent quality and all complimented Chef Goni for his industry and hard work.  Dr. Misra recalled the evolution of the acceptance of the Indian food and habits in the mainstream life of the American society.  Thirty years ago it was not easy to get a rental agreement for an Indian restaurant.  He said the food workers had earned their place in society through diligence, innovation and hard work.  Mr. Goni acted as a cultural ambassador of India by catering to the interests of the common citizen on a daily basis.

IDC (family) is an open community that welcomes all to participate in the journey to discover India’s heritage in the sciences, humanities, arts, music, dance and medicine.  The group meets every two weeks to develop educational material for the high school students to be showcased in an institutional facility proposed to be inaugurated by 2021.   Volunteer opportunities are available for multiple streams. For more information about the volunteer opportunities and/or learn about Project IDC, please contact any of the following:

Jjay Shishupal - jjayshishupal@gmail.com, Sanjeev Tripathi - sanjeevkt@hotmail.com,  Swati Dave - sdave_01@yahoo.com,  Krishna Gazula - kgazula@gmail.com, Praveen Sahay - praveen@waveep.com, Bijoy Misra - misra.bijoy@gmail.com.