On 13th August 2005 as the sun was just setting, thousands gathered at Providence’s Water Fire to celebrate the 58th Anniversary of India and Pakistan’s Independence Day . The event appropriately titled  South Asia Amity Day celebrations, took place in the open theater of the Water Place Park.

 WaterFire Providence®, the award-winning sculpture by Barnaby Evans installed on the three rivers of downtown Providence, has been praised by Rhode Island residents and international visitors alike as a powerful work of art and a moving symbol of Providence’s renaissance. The South Asia Amity Day was celebrated against the back drop of WaterFire’s sparkling bonfires, the fragrant scent of aromatic wood smoke, the flickering firelight on the arched bridges, the silhouettes of the fire tenders passing by the flames, the torch-lit vessels traveling down the river, and the enchanting live music by Koyal Ghoshal on the sitar and Nikhil Tikekar on the Tabla
‘A call for unity and peace through friendship’ is theme of this celebration, which is now in its second year of existence. The organizers, Namaskar India, Pakistani American Association of New England and WaterFire Providence came together to make this special event happen. 

The program was anchored by Sanjeevani Kukreja and Tara Sheikh. Promethea, exchange of flags between representatives from India and Pakistan, was a poignant moment that reflected the essence of the event. Pakistani and Indian youth  lit the fires on the water. Pooja Patel, Uzma Basharat-Noshina Khalid and Falguni Patel sang the National Anthems of  USA, Pakistan and India respectively.

 Hon. Senator Jack Reed and Hon. Mayor David Cicilline were the guest of honor. Senator Reed was welcomed in traditional manner with flowers and he gave an inspiring speech and applauded this effort of unity. In his address the Senator said “Today we celebrate the contribution of so many Indian Americans and Pakistani Americans who have made our country stronger and better.” He also presented a citation form the United States Senate to the people of both the communities.

In his welcome address Gary Calvino, director of WaterFire Providence said “ We all represent unity and equality. As a symbol of hope and peace, please join us as we celebrate in Providence the second annual South Asia Amity Day”  Zack Syed spoke on behalf of the  Pakistan American Association of New England and Subhash Chander spoke on behalf of Namaskar India.

The cultural show opened with a a Bhangra demonstration. This was followed by a play about Shah Jahan(played by Ruchir Shah)  and Mumtaz Mahal (played by Zar-Lusht Khan. The narrator for the skit was Uzma Basharat and it was directed by Sanjeevani Kukreja.

‘Jathiswaram’, a Kuchipudi classical dance by Triveni Dance Academy and performed by Shalini Sharin and Hiral Patel was followed by a dandia raas choreographed by Nafisa Girach and performed by Padma Ajit, Saba Chowdary, Nafisa Girach, Suma Mathai, Jamuna Govindrajan and Chandra Ramaswamy .

.The Bollywood dance ‘Mehndi, Mehndi’ by Ami Popat and Nijali Vakil and choreographed by Jasmine Shah had the people tapping their feet and fingers.The ‘Ethnic Colors’ was fashion show choreographed by Noshina Khalid and performed by models 3 years to 30 years old was a hit.

 The special feature of the Taj Mahal skit, the dandia raas and the Ethnic colors was that these items were a result of a collaborative effort from the Indian and Pakistani residents of RI, in terms of participation. ‘Kuchipadi’ dance by Rupa Banda, Siddhata Pandhare, Divya Pattisam, Aishwarya Ravi and Akash Ravi was very much appreciated by the enthusiastic crowd.
The colorful dance item, which followed, ‘Maari Mahisagar’ which was performed by the Boston Garba Raas Association was a great crowd pleaser. The dancers had fabulous beat and music coordination.

The grand finale of the show was by Boston Bhangra who took up the stage again and with its lively music had the audience hopping on the stage at the end of their stunning performance. The stage was soon filled with people learning to dance Bhangra or just enjoying the chance to swing to the lively Bhangra music.Hon. Mayor David Cicilline was welcomed and he encouraged this program of Peace and Unity. Amrut Patel, the founder of Namaskar India gave a Vote of thanks and ended the celebration.

The hard work of the participants from both the nations showed in the way this scintillating joint effort towards peace through art and tradition was presented and executed. Everybody who attended the event went home with a happy heart and hope towards a better future for both communities. This is probably the only event in the country that is organized in unison by  Indian and Pakistani Association.

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