BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Indo-American Community Federation - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Indo-American Community Federation X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://indocommunity.us X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Indo-American Community Federation REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:UTC BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:UTC DTSTART:20010101T000000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250418T173000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250418T220000 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20250217T104338Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250408T155344Z UID:9118-1744997400-1745013600@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:IACF Unity Dinner and Conference 2025 DESCRIPTION:24th Annual Unity Dinner & Conference\nPresented by the Indo-American Community Federation (IACF-USA) \n\nIn collaboration with ICC \n\n\n\n\n\n\nOverview\nAbout\nSchedule\nGuests\nBoard\nSponsors\nContact\n\n\n\n\nEvent Overview\n\n📅 Date: Friday\, April 18\, 2025 \n📍 Venue: India Community Center\, 525 Los Coches Street\, Milpitas\, CA \n🕠 Time: 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM \nTheme: Unity in Diversity: Emerging Technology and its Role in Uniting Community \n \n\n\nAbout the Conference\nSince its inception in 1993\, the Indo-American Community Federation (IACF) has been a beacon of unity\, hosting the Annual Unity Dinner since January 2002\, post-9/11\, with robust support from the community\, businesses\, and elected officials. Recognized by the California State Senate in May 2023 for the third time\, IACF continues to foster understanding and harmony among diverse communities. \nThis year’s event will be focusing on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity\, with experts from the field participating in a panel discussion\, exploring their transformative roles in governance\, public services\, and community cohesion\, with over 28 public officials and industry experts in attendance. \n\n\nSchedule\n\nMaster of Ceremonies: Lily Mei – Mayor Emeritus\, City of Fremont \n5:30 PM – 6:30 PM | Registration & Sumptuous Indian Dinner \nNetwork over a delicious Indian dinner. \nThroughout the Evening | The Kashmir Experience \nStep into Kashmir: Cultural Booth Experience – Immerse yourself in the rich heritage of Kashmir with an interactive cultural booth available during the event. \n\nAI in Public Services and the Future of Work (6:30 PM – 7:30 PM) – Click here for details\nAI is transforming how we govern\, move\, and work. From smart cities and public transit to cybersecurity and enterprise automation\, this panel explores how public officials and industry leaders are navigating the AI era—balancing innovation with ethics\, equity\, and impact. \nModerator: Tasawar Jalali – Chief Information Security Officer\, AC Transit & Chair\, AI Committee\, APTA \nPanelists: \n\nDr. Liang Chao – Mayor\, City of Cupertino\nLily Mei – Mayor Emeritus\, City of Fremont\nHuseni Saboowala – CEO\, Daxa.ai\nKarthik Krishnan – CEO\, Concentric.ai\nYervant Zorian – Chief Architect\, Synopsys\n\n\n7:30 PM – 10:00 PM | Unity Gala \n7:30 PM – 7:35 PM | National Anthem \nPerformed by Tanya Gupta \n7:35 PM – 7:42 PM | Cultural Program \nAo Dai Fashion Catwalk and a Chinese Dance \n7:42 PM – 7:47 PM | Address \nJeevan Zutshi\, Founder IACF \nRecognition of Sponsors \n7:47 PM – 7:50 PM | Address \nRaj Salwan – Mayor\, City of Fremont \n7:50 PM – 7:55 PM | Keynote Address \nRob Bonta – Attorney General\, State of California \n7:55 PM – 8:00 PM | Presentation \nLaunching San Francisco Unicorn by IACF \n8:00 PM – 8:05 PM | Honored Guest Speaker \nGarrett Yee – Major General (Retired) \n8:05 PM – 8:10 PM | Honored Guest Speaker \nMr. Rakesh Adlakha – Deputy Consul General of India\, San Francisco \n\n\n \nRob Bonta\nAttorney General\, State of California \n \n\n \nGarrett Yee\nMajor General (Retired) \n \n8:10 PM – 8:15 PM | Presentation \nMeadows Behavioral Health \n8:15 PM – 8:22 PM | Introduction of Honored Guests \n8:22 PM – 8:28 PM | Recognition of IACF Board and Volunteers \n8:28 PM – 10:00 PM | Live Performance \nMelodious songs and Dancing with Bollywood Singer Irfan Ali (www.aliirfan.com) \n Bollywood Dance Melodies from the Last Decade \nPerformed by Jaya Sharma\, Akshata Bhuskat\, Avaani Thakur\, Nimisha Sharma\, and Srishti Tewari \n\n\n \nAli Irfan\nVocal Artist \n \n\n\nDistinguished Guests (Partial List)\n\n\nMr. Rakesh Adlakha\, Deputy Consul General of India\, San Francisco\nAbhishek Sharma\, Consul\, Consulate General of India\, San Francisco\nCongressman Ro Khanna (represented by Tom Pyke)\nCongressman Sam Liccardo\nAttorney General\, Rob Bonta\nCalifornia State Treasurer Emeritus\, Betty Yee\nCalifornia State Assemblymember\, Alex Lee (represented by Anurag Pal)\nCalifornia State Assemblymember\, Ash Kalra\nCalifornia State Assemblymember\, Liz Ortega\, AD 20\nSanta Clara County Supervisor & Board President\, Otto Lee\nSanta Clara County Supervisor\, Betty Duong\nAlameda County Supervisor\, Dave Haubert (represented by Kathy Kimberlin)\nAlameda County Supervisor\, Elisa Marquez\nAlameda County District Attorney\, Ursula Jones-Dixon\nNancy E. O’Malley\, Retired District Attorney\, Alameda County\nMayor\, City of Milpitas\, Carmen Montano\nMayor\, City of Fremont\, Raj Salwan\nMayor Emeritus\, City of Fremont\, Lily Mei\nVice-Mayor\, City of Fremont\, Teresa Keng\nCouncilmember\, City of Fremont\, Yajing Zhang\nCouncilmember\, City of Fremont\, Raymond Liu\nCouncilmember\, City of Fremont\, Kathy Kimberlin\nCouncilmember\, City of Fremont\, Desrie Campbell\nCouncilmember\, City of Fremont\, Yang Shao\nTeresa Cox\, City of Fremont Councilmember (retired)\nMayor\, City of Newark\, Mike Hannon\nMayor Emeritus\, City of Newark\, Alan Nagy\nVice-Mayor\, City of Hayward\, Zermeno Francisco\nMayor\, City of Dublin\, Sherry Hu\nMayor\, City of Cupertino\, Dr. Liang Chao\nMayor\, City of Campbell\, Sergio Lopez\nMayor\, City of Santa Clara\, Lisa Gillmor\nCouncilmember\, City of Santa Clara\, Raj Chahal\nNewark School District Retired Board Member\, Raj J. Rodriguez\nFremont School District Board Member\, Rinu Nair\n\n\n\nBoard of Directors\n\n\nMr. Shashi Sharma\nDr. Deepak Sachdev\nDr. Harmesh Kumar\nDr. Naresh Sharma\nDr. Subhash Garg\nDr. Ramesh Konda\nMr. Amit Goel\nMr. Sujoy Sarkar\nMr. Akhil Rana\nDr. Misha Sharma\nMr. Neeshil Shah\nMr. Rahul Zutshi\nMr. Jeevan Zutshi\n\n\n\nSponsors\n\nDiamond: \n\nSan Francisco UNICORN\n\nPlatinum: \n\nDeepak Ganju\, Managing Director\, Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management\nDave Haubert\, Alameda County Supervisor\nHindu American Foundation\n\nGold: \n\nConcentric.ai \nMeadows Behavioral Health\nComcast\n\nSilver: \n\nKevin Carter (INQQ)\nDr. Raj Salwan\, Fremont Mayor\nKishore Pal\nPannu Dental Group (Dr. Dalvir Pannu)\nWashington Hospital Healthcare System\nBay Area Community Health\nTasawar Jalali (Ibaadatkhana)\nShashi Sharma\nSanjiv Gupta\, C.P.A\n\nTable Sponsors: \n\nHongkonger Community Center\nAvanzando\, Newark\, CA\nSewa International\nAPAPA\nAssociation of Indo-Americans (AIA)\nDr. Harmesh Kumar\, Therapeutic Residential Care Services\, Inc.\nDroisys\nFIIDS\n\nEvent Decorations: \n\nCC Decors (Krishna Priya)\n\nMedia Sponsors: \n\nDIYA TV\nAmerican Time TV\nIndia West\nIndia Currents\nTri-City Voice\nMilpitas Post\nRadio Zindagi\nYo India TV\nTheraWin Health\n\n\n\nContact & Registration\n📱 Join us! Reserve your spot: \nhttps://IACF-UnityDinner-2025.eventbrite.com \nQuestions? Contact us: \nđŸ“© Jeevan Zutshi – JeevanZutshi@aol.com | 📞 (510) 589-3702 \nđŸ“© Neeshil Shah – neeshilshah1@gmail.com | 📞 (408) 315-2798 \n🔗 Learn more at: www.indocommunity.us \nTax ID Number: 94-3304171 URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/iacf-unity-dinner-and-conference-2025/ CATEGORIES:24th Annual Unity Dinner END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20240329T173000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20240329T220000 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20240206T032411Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240403T085241Z UID:9003-1711733400-1711749600@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Indo-American Community Federation\, (IACF-USA) DESCRIPTION:Board of Directors: \nJeevan Zutshi\, Dr. Ramesh Konda\, Mr. Amit Goel\, Mr. Shashi Sharma\, Dr. Subhash Garg\, Dr. Naresh Sharma\, Dr. Harmesh Kumar\, Mr. Rahul Zutshi\, Mr. Sujoy Sarkar\, Dr. Deepak Sachdev \nIACF-USA was once again recognized and honored by the California State Senate in May\, 2023 for promoting understanding and harmony amongst diverse communities for decades! \nFriday\, March 29\, 2024 (5:30 PM to 10:00 PM) \n30th Anniversary and Unity Dinner \nUnity through Diversity: Breathing Life into Education \nIndia Community Center\, 525 Los Coches Street\, Milpitas\, CA. \nMaster of Ceremonies: Kathy Stahl Kimberlin \nHonored Chief Guest: Ambassador of Peace Acharya Dr. Lokesh (visiting from India) \nKeynote Speaker: Hon. Assemblymember Ash Kalra \nProgram: \n5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Social Hour \n6:30 PM – 6:40 PM: National Anthem by Tanya Gupta \n6:40 PM – 6:50 PM: 30 years of IACF-USA- presented by Dr. Subhash\nGarg\, IACF Director \n6:50 PM – 7:00 PM: Brief presentation on Yoga by Shyla Zutshi \n7:00 PM – 7:05 PM: IACF supports Sudha Society– YouTube message \n7:05 PM – 8:00 PM: Panel Discussion \n“Breathing Life into Education” Co-Convened by Art of Living \nIntroduction by Shyla Zutshi \nModerator: Anjali Shaykher Zutshi\, National Security/ Intelligence Lawyer/Chief of Staff\, National Nuclear Security Administration \nPanelists: \nEileen McDonald\, Alameda Board of Education Trustee \nVivek Prasad\, Fremont School Board Member \nDr. Nilima Sabharwal\, Founder\, Home of Hope \nBill Herman\, Founder and International Director\, SKY Schools and Senior Faculty\, Art of Living \nKasturi Basu\, Principal at Lyndale Elementary School\, Alum Rock Union School District. \n8:00 PM – 8:05 PM: Honored Guest Speaker Alam Khydeeja \nExecutive Director\, California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (APIA) \nCalifornia is proud to be home to over six million Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA)\, the fastest growing ethnic population in the state. \nThe California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (CAPIAA) was established in 2002 and is charged with elevating the political\, economic\, and social issues of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA)\, in the state. \nThe Commission advises the Governor and the Legislature on how to best respond to views\, needs\, and concerns of the state’s diverse and complex APIA communities. Additionally\, the commission provides assistance to policymakers\, state agencies\, departments\, and commissions to develop appropriate responses and programs that meet the needs of APIA communities\, including focus on cultural language sensitivity\, and hate incident and hate crime prevention measures. \n8:05 PM – 8:45 PM: Dinner \n8:15 PM – 8:20 PM: Hispanic Cultural Program – ballet Folklorico \n8:20 PM – 8:30 PM: Presentation by Art of Living Foundation \n8:30 PM – 8:40 PM: Indian dances by the Students of Aero Dance Academy by Ranjani Manda\, Artistic Director \n8:45 PM – 8:55 PM: Honored Chief Guest speaker Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni \n(Introduction by Ajay Sehgal\, IACF-USA India Liaison) \nH.H. Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni Ji\, Founder President “Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti” is a versatile thinker\, writer\, poet\, and social reformer has been continuously making efforts for National character building\, development of human values\, and establishment of non-violence\, peace\, and cooperation in society for the last 39 years. He has\, To\, give practical shape to these values he founded “Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti” and thus made his field of activities spread throughout the world. With the establishment of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti\, he started a strong movement against social evils like the abortion of female children\, drug addiction\, Environmental Pollution\, etc. \nH.H. Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni is the recipient of many awards: including ‘The National Communal Harmony Award 2010’ by the Government of India ‘Ambassador of Peace’ at London Parliament. He has been honored by the United Peace Federation with the ‘Ambassador of Peace Award’ in 2014 at the United Nations Centre for his remarkable contributions towards World Peace & Communal Harmony. Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni has been honored with the Bharat Gaurav Award at U.N. Headquarters\, U.S.A. \n8:55 PM – 9:05 PM: Keynote Speaker Hon. Assemblymember Ash Kalra \nAssemblymember Ash Kalra represents California’s 25th Assembly District\, which encompasses the majority of San JosĂ©\, including downtown and open space areas in southeast Santa Clara County. He was first elected in 2016\, becoming the first Indian American to serve in the California Legislature in state history\, and was re-elected to his fourth term in 2022. \nAssemblymember Kalra is the Chair of the Committee on Judiciary and also serves as a member on the Housing & Community Development\, Local Government\, and Natural Resources committees. He is Chair Emeritus of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus and works to ensure that key legislative priorities are successfully passed on civil rights\, criminal justice\, economic and worker justice\, environmental justice\, and housing justice\, Previously\, he served as Chair to the Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment. \n9:05 PM – 9:15 PM: Address by Jeevan Zutshi\, IACF Founder United we Stand – Community builders \nLiving the dream For All People 

Hon. Teresa Cox\, Fremont City Councilmember \nIntroductions \nCommunity Organizations: \nKashmiri Overseas Association (KOA) \nBAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir\, San Jose\, CA\, USA \nHindu American Foundation (HAF) \nFoundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) \nSatish Chandra\, A4H and Chief Advisory Committee for Santa Clara Police Department \nSouth Asian Behavioral health and training foundation (Dr. Harmesh Kumar) \nHome of Hope\, Inc. (Dr. Nilima Sabharwal) \nIbadatKhana Foundation (Tasawar Jalali) \nPublic Officials: \nCongressman Ro Khanna represented by Tom Pyke \nAttorney General of California represented by Tong Thao \nState Senator (CA-15)\, Dave Cortese \nAssemblymember (CA-25)\, Ash Kalra \nAssemblymember Evan Low\, District 26 \nAssemblymember (CA-24)\, Alex Lee \nMayor\, City of Milpitas\, Carmen Montano \nMayor\, City of Newark\, Michael K. Hannon \nNewark Former Mayor Al Nagy \nFremont City Mayor Lily Mei \nMayor\, City of Santa Clara\, Lisa Gillmor \nCouncilmembers\, City of Fremont\, Dr. Raj Salwan\, Teresa Keng\, Teresa Cox \nAlameda County Supervisor (CA-1)\, David Haubert \nAlameda County Supervisor Lena Tam \nSanta Clara County Supervisor (District 2) – Cindy Chavez \nSanta Clara County Board of Education Trustee (Area 2) Tara Sreekrishnan \nSan Jose Councilmember Arjun Batra \nPatrick Ahrens\, Governing body member of Foothill DeAnza Community College District \nBART Director Liz Ames \n9:15 PM – 9:25 PM: IACF Board Recognition including the Registration and Hospitality Committee\nBy Dr. Naresh Sharma\, Member\, Board of Directors \nClosing Remarks by Amit Goel\, President \n9:25 PM – 11:30 PM: DJ Kish/Sing and Dance \nMedia Partners \n\nIndica News\nNew India Abroad\nIndia West\nRadio Zindagi\nFIJI Sun-USA\nSakshi TV / Ruchika Sharma\nTV9\nTV Asia\n\nThanks to all the Event Sponsors \nGrand Sponsors: \nAlameda County Supervisor Dave Haubert \nDeepak Ganju\, Managing Director\, Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management \nV.I P Table Sponsors: \nWashington Hospital Healthcare System \nKishore Pallapothu\, Entrepreneur \nDr. Raj Salwan\, Fremont City Councilmember \nVin Kruttiventi\, Congressional candidate \nPannu Dental Group \nDr. Harmesh Kumar\, Psychologist \nAshok Bhat\, Hotelier \nDroisys\, Inc.\, A Software Solutions Company \nAjay Sehgal\, IACF- India Liaison \nGaurav Patwardhan\, Community Leader \nDeepak Sachdev dental offices \nVideography & Photography Directed by Sujoy Sarkar \nEvent Decorations by CC DECORS (Krishna Priya) URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/indo-american-community-federation-iacf-usa/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230723T113000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230723T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20230823T102750Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241115T092232Z UID:8951-1690111800-1690120800@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: Gender Equity And Modern Solutions DESCRIPTION:JULY 23RD\, SUNDAY \n11:30 AM – 2PM \nINDIA COMMUNITY CENTER \n525 LOS COCHES STREET\, MILPITAS\, CA 95035 \nOpening remarks by Mr. Jeevan Zutshi\, Founder\, IACF-USA \nRevant Kasichainula – Moderator \nSheryl Brinkley\, MBA – Women’s Exec and Leadership Coach at ITM Coaching Next Level \nRuth Yong\, Ph.D. – Executive Director at Palm Academy \nConnie LaScola\, MBA – Finance Professional at Codexis \nRamesh Konda\, Ph.D. – Vice President at FloData \nDr. Harmesh Kumar\, Ph.D. – world renowned clinical psychologist \nFREE ENTRY. DONATIONS ARE APPRECIATED. LUNCH IS PROVIDED. \nMr. Jeevan Zutshi \nJeevan Zutshi has been deeply involved in Community Development projects internationally for decades. \nIt is not a coincidence that he was one of the first on the west coast to see the need to get involved in mainstream America and inspire other Indo-Americans through Indo-American Community Federation (IACF)\, a non-profit organization. \nConsequently\, he was honored by the California legislature in 2004 in a ceremony on Capitol Hill for being a pioneer in leading the Indo-American community towards assimilating in mainstream culture. Jeevan is the author of a non-fiction “Earth on Trial – Fighting the invisible and visible enemies” and “The Last Smile – A Fathers love story – A journey of hope” which are available on Amazon. \nHe is also the Executive Producer of the award-winning film\, The Last Smile\, an 87 minutes long independent film\, based on his book and true events – presented by Amit Zutshi Foundation\, highlighting the dangers of over-the-counter-supplements and the multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical industry involved in marketing these life-threatening products\, and one that remains totally unregulated by the FDA. The film is available on Amazon Prime. \nDr. Harmesh Kumar \nDr. Harmesh Kumar\, renowned bay area clinical psychologist with a world-level reputation\, has enthusiastically added his name to the list of candidates running for California U.S. Senator presently held by retiring Senator Diane Feinstein. With three members of congress having previously declared their candidacy to the position\, Dr. Kumar-a Democrat– is the first non-member of congress to declare his candidacy. \nSheryl Brinkley\, MBA \nShe is the Founder and CEO of ITM Coaching Next Level\, is an International Coaching Federation certified Executive Coach\, and is a Certified Leadership Development Professional specializing in Mid-Level Career progression and acceleration. \nShe is passionate about working with emerging and Mid-Level Female leaders aspiring to continue up the platinum staircase and into Senior Leader and Executive level seats. \nSheryl’s decades of experience in Fortune 100\, Public\, Private\, Tech\, and Utility sectors have given her a wide and varied lens on leadership environments. She leverages her acumen in talent pipeline program strategy and delivery in her approach with working with clients and within organizations. \nSheryl is a proud Bay Area native and holds an MBA from Holy Names University\, a certification from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business – Women’s Executive Leadership Program and holds a specialty certification in Emotional Intelligence EQ-i 2.0. \nRuth Yong\, Ph.D. \nRuth is an ‘Educator at Large’. She has worked in and around education for most of her career\, including being a classroom teacher\, a center/school administrator with a wide variety of responsibilities and a coach and trainer for aspiring teachers and entrepreneurs. Dr. Ruth came to education and childcare services with over 10 years of industrial experience\, which helped her approach educating children from a very different perspective. She thinks that emotional intelligence is just as important\, if not more important\, than intellectual intelligence in today’s world. Ruth was raised in Fremont\, California\, went to Mission San Jose High School\, graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of California\, Berkeley and Purdue University for her Masters and PhD. degree. \nDuring her time in industry\, she traveled extensively to different regional offices in the U.S. and overseas to conduct training certifications for upper management. She has also worked with research and development to develop a computer training module that\, still this day\, continues to train thousands of employees every month. \nIt was her family that brought her back to Fremont\, California to start Fastrackids and Palm Academy in 2006. Besides dedicating most of her time to preschool centers and children’s education\, she also coaches aspiring entrepreneurs\, teaches children’s Sunday school\, and sings in the choir. \nConnie LaScola\, MBA \nConnie is an experienced Finance professional with a demonstrated history of working in the biotechnology industry. Skilled in Accounting\, Public Speaking\, Internal Controls\, and Management. \nAs President of Bay Area Spirit Enthusiasts\, Connie loves to inspire and promote youth and young adults to make a difference in our communities and national organizations through financial and volunteering commitments. \nShe holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an Executive MBA focused on Global Economics. \nRamesh Konda\, Ph.D. \nRamesh Konda has 30 years of combined working experience in automotive\, semiconductor\, manufacturing\, and information technology industries. During his career\, he has held key responsibilities such as Vice President\, Director\, Asst. Production Manager\, Quality Manager\, and Program Manager. Ramesh has worked at notable companies such as General Motors and Seagate Technology. \nRamesh is a Fellow of the American Society for Quality (ASQ)\, and the past chair of the ASQ Silicon Valley section. He is a Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) and Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) from ASQ. Ramesh holds Ph.D.\, M.B.A.\, M.S. (Industrial Engineering)\, and B.S. (Mechanical Engineering). \nRevant Kasichainula \nRevant is a high school senior at Basis Independent Fremont\, driven by the desire to raise awareness and instigate change regarding gender equity in society. In addition to his advocacy work\, he is also an accomplished author\, having written the book “Mixed\,” which is available on Amazon. This captivating novel delves into the fictional narrative of a biracial child’s experiences growing up in the 1960s American South. \nRevant’s talents extend beyond the realm of literature. He is an exceptional sportsman\, excelling as a national-level table tennis player and a dedicated marathon runner. Through his athletic pursuits\, Revant embodies perseverance\, discipline\, and a commitment to personal growth. \nBeyond his achievements\, Revant’s true passion lies in fostering a more compassionate and caring society. With his infectious motivation\, he serves as a source of inspiration for those around him\, encouraging others to embrace empathy and actively contribute to the betterment of their communities. URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/panel-discussion-gender-equity-and-modern-solutions/ CATEGORIES:22nd Annual Unity Dinner 2023 ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/600-x600.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230421T170000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230421T235900 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20230323T120036Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230503T063448Z UID:6872-1682096400-1682121540@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:22nd Annual Unity Dinner 2023 DESCRIPTION:Indo-American Community Federation (IACF-USA) was co-founded by Jeevan Zutshi in the year 1994 as the first Indo-American organization to build bridges with mainstream organizations\, diverse leadership groups\, think tank and public officials. The Unity Dinner celebrates unity in diversity and the achievements of community leaders in our local community after 9/11/01 to promote unity in diversity and address serious community issues.  IACF is proud to have celebrated 25th anniversary on March 22\, 2019. \nUnity through Diversity: Reclaiming a Sense of Connection \nFriday\, April 21\, 2023 (5:00 PM to Midnight) \nat the India Community Center\, 525 Los Coches Street\, Milpitas\, CA. \nMaster of Ceremonies: Dr. Raj Salwan\, Councilmember\, City of Fremont\, CA \nCo- Master of Ceremonies: Rakhi Israni\, Esq.\, President of Excel Test and a Public Relations Director for Sewa International. \nProgram: \n5:00 pm to 6:15 pm \nPanel discussion: The Rise in Gun Violence and the impact on our Youth \nModerator: Anjali Shaykher Zutshi\, Esq. \nIntroduction by: Shyla Zutshi \nAnjali is National Security Law Attorney at National Nuclear Security Administration\, U.S. Department of Energy. \nPanelists: \nTeresa Keng\, City of Fremont Councilmember \nJeff Rosen\, Santa Clara District Attorney \nDesrie Campbell\, City of Fremont Council member \nFish Stark\, Head of Program & Curriculum at Ever Scouts \nDr. Harmesh Kumar\, Licensed Psychologist \nRagini Vecham\, Parent representative \n– 5:50 pm to 6:00 pm: Address by San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan \n– 6:15 pm to 7:15 pm: “Tim Reilly – The Canyon Band” & Host bar and Dinner \n– 7:15 pm: National Anthems by Manasa Gadepalli \n– 7:20 pm: Introduction of IACF Board by Dr. Ramesh Konda\, President \n– 7:24 pm: “Why growth requires Diversity?” by Sanjiv Goyal\, Chairman\, Droisys \n– 7:29 pm: Address by Jeevan Zutshi\, Chairman\, IACF-USA \nIntroductions \nConsul General of India Ambassador\, Dr. T.V. Nagendra Prasad \nCongressman Ro Khanna represented by Tom Pyke \nState Senator (CA-15)\, Dave Cortese \nPatti Cortese\, Eastside Union H.S. District \nState Senator (Former)\, Bob Wieckowski \nAssemblymember (CA-25)\, Ash Kalra \nAssemblymember (CA-24)\, Alex Lee \nMayor\, City of San Jose\, Matt Mahan \nMayor\, City of Milpitas\, Carmen Montano \nMayor\, City of Newark\, Michael K. Hannon \nNewark Former Mayor Al Nagy and Mrs Connie Nagy \nFremont City Mayor Lily Mei \nMayor\, City of Tracy\, Nancy Young represented by Mr. James Young \nMayor\, City of Santa Clara\, Lisa Gillmor \nMayor (Former) Milpitas\, Rich Tran \nMayor (Former) Cupertino\, Darcy Paul \nSanta Clara City Vice Mayor\, Kevin Park \nVice Mayor\, City of Milpitas \, Evelyn Chua \nCouncilmembers\, City of Fremont\, Dr. Raj Salwan\, Teresa Keng\, Teresa Cox \nBoard President\, Alameda County Water District\, Paul Sethy \nCouncilmember\, City of Santa Clara (District 1)\, Kathy Watanabe \nCouncilmember\, City of Oakland\, Janani Ramachandran \nCouncilmember Arjun Batra\, City of San Jose and Mrs. Batra \nCouncilmember (District 3)\, Murali Srinivasan\, City of Sunnyvale \nAlameda County Supervisor (CA-1)\, David Haubert \nSanta Clara County Board Supervisor (District 3)\, Otto Lee \nSanta Clara County Supervisor (District 4) – Board President\, Susan Ellenberg \nSanta Clara County Supervisor (District 2) – Cindy Chavez – Betty Duong\, Esq.\, Chief of Staff \nFremont Police Chief Sean Washington \nSanta Clara County Board of Education Trustee (Area 2) Tara Sreekrishnan \nSenior Assistant District Attorney and Policy Chief\, Alameda County District Attorney’s Office Cynthia Chandler \nMilpitas Unified School District Board of Education Trustee Anu Nakka \nMilpitas Unified School District Board of Education President Chris Norwood \nCommissioner to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans\, Native Hawaiians\, and Pacific Islanders Ajay Bhutoria \nSanta Clara Human Rights Commissioners Pranjali Dani\, Mita Dey\, Robert Cheykin \nMilpitas Planning Commissioner Dipak Awasthi \nMarie Bernard\, Executive Director\, Sunnyvale Community Services \nJoined by Prof. Bruce Paton\, Board member\, Leadership Sunnyvale \n  \n– 7:37 pm: Joe Johal \n– 7:39 pm: Address by Consul General of India Dr. Nagendra Prasad \n– 7:45 pm:  Introduction of Community leaders by Rakhi Israni\, Esq. \nHindu American Foundation (HAF) \nFoundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) \nHindu Swayam Sewak Sangh (HSS) \nSewa International \nBAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir\, Milpitas\, CA \n– 7:52 pm: Guest Speaker and Presentation by Hindu American Foundation (HAF) \n– 8:02 pm: Honored Speaker – CA State Senator Dave Cortese \n– 8:08 pm: Honored Speaker Susan Ellenberg\, President\, Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors \n– 8:13 pm: Fashion Show by Frontier Heritage Fremont \n– 8:20 pm: IACF-USA Honorees \nDeepak Ganju\, Lifetime Achievement award \nFremont Police Chief Sean Washington\, Public Safety Official of the year \nThe Urban League of Greater San Francisco Bay Area\, Community organization of the year \nSanjiv Bhandari\, Prominence in the field of Architecture \n– 8:35 pm: Hispanic Ballet Folklorico by Martha Alvarez \n– 8:45 pm: Keynote address by Dr. Tae Yun Kim\, Motivational speaker and founder of Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions\, Inc. \n– 9:00 pm: Free drawing for fantastic prizes donated by Dr. Tae Yun Kim \n– 9:15 pm: Dance performance by students of Aero Dance Academy Director: Ranjani Manda \nIntroduction by Vijaya Aasuri\, AIA and BATA leader \n– 9:25 pm: Closing Remarks and Vote of Thanks by Dr. Ramesh Konda\, IACF-USA President \n– 9:30 pm onwards:  Yeh Shaam Mastani organized by Prasad Mangina and Veeru Vuppala\, BATA Karaokee \n  \nLive Bollywood music đŸŽ” concert by popular Bay Area singers \nVideography & Photography by Sachin \nMedia Sponsors: \nTri-City Voice \nRadio Zindagi \nIndica News \n  \nEvent Sponsors: \nComcast \nDr. Tae Yun Kim\, Motivational speaker and the founder of Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions \nDeepak Ganju\, Managing Director\, Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management \nDroisys\, Inc.\, a leading Software company \nWashington Hospital Healthcare System \nBay Area Community Health (BACH) \nAlameda County Supervisor Dave Haubert \nDr. Raj Salwan\, City of Fremont Councilmember \nDr. Dharam P. Salwan\, Salwan Properties \nAssociation of Indo-Americans (AIA) \nDr. Dalvir Pannu\, Pannu Dental \nHindu American Foundation (HAF) \nFoundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) \nHindu Swayam Sewak Sangh (HSS) \nSewa International \nBAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir\, Milpitas\, CA \nDr. Harmesh Kumar\, Licensed Psychologist \nKishore Pallapothu\, Entrepreneur \nTeresa Keng\, City of Fremont Councilmember \nAshok and Pushpa Saraf \nDr. Vijay Chowdhury \nJoe Johal \nYou are also invited to join IACF leaders on the Senate floor at the California State Capitol on Monday\, April 24\, 2023\, as the State of California celebrates IACF’s Unity Day.  RSVP with your full name and contact information. \nFor additional information\, feel free to contact anyone of us: \nMr. Jeevan Zutshi\, jeevanzutshi@aol.com\, (510) 589-3702 \nDr. Ramesh Konda\, rameshkonda.phd@gmail.com\, (510) 565-2495 \nMr. Amit Goel\, Amit@droisys.com\, (415) 706-8643 \nMr. Shashi Sharma\, Shashisharma1@gmail.com\, (408) 569-3396 \nDr. Naresh Sharma\, nareshcsharma@yahoo.com\, (408) 206-3330 \nDr. Subhash Garg\, Sooku@yahoo.com\, (702) 308-6339 \nDr. Harmesh Kumar\, harmeshkumar@sbcglobal.net\, (925) 285-9881 URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/22nd-annual-unity-dinner-2023/ LOCATION:The India Community Center\, 525 Los Coches Street\, Milpitas\, CA. CATEGORIES:22nd Annual Unity Dinner 2023 ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/DSC_2305-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210319 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210320 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20230228T054018Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230328T141115Z UID:7358-1616112000-1616198399@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Unity Dinner 2021: The Road Ahead – A Unified Recovery DESCRIPTION:Together we build a tapestry of colorful cultures\nCo-Hosts: \nJeevan Zutshi\, Dr. Raj Salwan\, Yogi Chugh\, Varun Kapur\nMaster of Ceremonies: Vijaya Aasuri\nPanel Moderator: Anjali Shaykher Zutshi\, Esq.\nMarch 19\, 2021\, 4:45 PM to 7:15 PM \nYou are invited to join us at the 20th Annual Unity Dinner\, organized by Indo-American Community Federation (IACF)\, on Friday\, March 19th\, 2021 from 4:45 PM to 7:15 PM. \nIACF celebrated its 25th anniversary in March 2019 and has successfully been promoting unity in diversity. \nA panel discussion will be held from 5:15 pm to 6:00 pm PST on current issues related to Covid-19\, after members of Congress and our Consul General of India address the community. \nThe Panel discussion is titled “Covid-19 Pandemic: Response\, Lessons Learned and Recovery” and is being moderated by Anjali Shaykher Zutshi Esq.\, Attorney at National Nuclear Security Administration. \nPanelists:\nFish Stark – Global Director of Programs at Peace First\nHarsha Ramchandani\, M.D. – CMO\, Bay Area Community Health\nChander Shaykher\, M.D. – Miami Heart Center\nKimberly Hartz\, CEO – Washington Hospital\nMihir Meghani\, M.D. – Emergency Medicine Physician\, Kaiser Permanente \nThis will be followed by Honorable speakers\, IACF Leadership awards\, Book releases and a cultural program. \nThe entire meeting will be virtual\, keeping the pandemic situation in view. \nThis year’s theme is Unity Dinner 2021: The Road Ahead – A Unified Recovery. It will focus on deep-diving into the key issues around us and what we must do as a community to fully recover. The program includes Keynote Speeches\, Awards\, and top-notch cultural performances. \nA prominent group of more than 400+ community members\, organizations\, and public officials have supported this signature event to network and promote unity in diversity\, year after year. Nearly 45 elected officials and senior Lawmakers attend and support every year. Coincidentally\, we were the first organization to start this event after 9/11 to promote unity in diversity. \nWe will be welcoming the President of Ohlone College Dr. Eric Bishopand some newly elected officials as well. The following are some of the confirmed honored guests\, as of this moment. \nConsul General of India Ambassador Dr. T.V. Nagendra Prasad\nMember of Congress Anna Eshoo\nMember of Congress Ro Khanna\nSenator\, State of California\, Bob Wieckowski\nSenator\, State of California\, Dave Cortese\nAssembly member Ash Kalra\nAssembly member Bill Quirk\nAssembly member Alex Lee\nAlameda County Supervisor David Haubert\nSanta Clara County Supervisor Otto Lee\nMayor Lily Mei\, City of Fremont\nMayor Alan Nagy\, City of Newark\nMayor Larry Klein\, City of Sunnyvale \n  \nUNITY DINNER 2021\nVirtual Program \nThe Road Ahead – A United Recovery \n\n\n\n1.\nOpening Unity Dinner Program Introduction of IACF BOD – Dr. Ramesh Konda\n(4:45-4:50)\n\n\n2.\nAbout IACF by Dr. Subhash Garg\n(4:50-4:53)\n\n\n3.\nNational Anthems\n(4:53-5:00)\n\n\n4.\nAddress by IACF Chairman Jeevan Zutshi\n(5:00-5:03)\n\n\n5.\nPresenting Congresswoman\nAnna Eshoo by Jeevan Zutshi\n(5:03-5:04)\n\n\n6.\nAddress by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo\n(5:04-5:07)\n\n\n7.\nIntroductory Remarks & Presenting Congressman\nRo Khanna by Yogi Chugh\nAddress by Congressman Ro Khanna\n(5:07-5:09)\n(5:09-5:12)\n\n\n8.\nPresenting Consul General of India by Vijaya Aasuri\nAddress by Consul General of India Dr. T.V. Nagendra Prasad\n(5:12-5:13)\n(5:13-5:16)\n\n\n9.\nPresenting Assembly member Dr. Bill Quirk by Dr. Raj Salwan\nAddress by Assembly member Dr. Bill Quirk\n(5:16-5:17)\n(5:17-5:20)\n\n\n10.\nIntroduction of Anjali Zutshi by Dr. Raj Salwan\nPanel Discussion by Panel discussion moderator Anjali Shaykher Zutshi Esq. and Panelists: Dr. Harsha Ramchandani (CMO\, Bay Area Community Health)\, Kimberly Hartz (CEO\, Washington Hospital)\, Dr. Chander Shaykher (Miami Heart Center)\, Dr.Mihir Meghani (Kaiser Permanante)\, Fish Stark (Programs at Peace First)\n(5:20-6:05)\n\n\n11.\nBook Release Introduction by Yogi Chugh\nEarth on Trial-Fighting the visible and invisible enemies by Jeevan Zutshi\nSikh Heritage beyond the borders by Dr. Dalvir Pannu\n(6:05-6:11)\n\n\n12.\nPresenting Special Guest Speaker Ohlone College President by Yogi Chugh\n(6:11-6:12)\n\n\n13.\nAddress by President Dr. Eric Bishop President of Ohlone community college\n(6:12-6:15)\n\n\n14.\nAddress by Fremont Police Chief Kim Peterson\nIntroduction by Yogi Chugh\n(6:15-6:19)\n\n\n15.\nIntroduction & Presenting Elected County Supervisors (Otto Lee and David Haubert) and Assembly members (Ash Kalra\, Alex Lee and Kansen Chu) By Dr. Raj Salwan\, Fremont City Councilmember\n(6:19-6:27)\n\n\n16.\nIntroduction of City Mayors and Council members By Yogi Chugh\nIACF UNITY Awards: (Yogi Chugh)\nDr. Dalvir Pannu for promoting Unity and Sikh Heritage\nSanjiv Gupta\, CPA for community service and Philanthropy\nAssociation of Indo-Americans (AIA) for uniting community organizations and promoting Indian heritage\nArjun Banerjee Mulchandanifor Youth Leadership\nLa Familia for serving underserved communities in Alameda County\nGlobal Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora (GKPD) for promoting Kashmiri culture globally through extensive festivals\nDeepak Ganju\, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor for Philanthropy\n(6:27-6:35)\n(6:35-6:54)\n\n\n17.\nCultural Program – Moderated by Vijaya Aasuri\n(6:54-7:10)\n\n\n18.\nVote of thanks – Dr. Naresh Sharma\n(7:10-7:15)\n\n\n\n  URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/the-road-ahead-a-unified-recovery/ CATEGORIES:20th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/12890953_1593562960864431_6521144000426889602_o-3.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201220 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201221 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20230228T073451Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T114841Z UID:7366-1608422400-1608508799@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Indian American Activist Jeevan Zutshi Launches Second Book ‘Earth on Trial - Fighting The Invisible and Visible Enemies’ DESCRIPTION:Jeevan Zutshi\, founder of the Indo-American Community Federation\, is seen at the organization’s 19th annual Unity Dinner May 23\, held via Zoom this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Indian American activist has just launched his second book titled\, “Earth on Trial – Fighting The Invisible and Visible Enemies.” (IACF photo) \nJeevan Zutshi’s rst book\, “The Last Smile: A Father’s Love Story\,” highlighted the dangers of over \nWritten during the Covid-19 lockdown and through the lens of Zutshi’s cultural and personal perspective\, “Earth on Trial – Fighting The Invisible and Visible Enemies\,” combines history\, extensive information\, and personal anecdotes\, in an attempt to provide a comprehensive insight into the most pressing topics of our time\, from the global pandemic to the Black Lives Matter movement. \nIt also explores the everyday quest to seek perfection in our mind and bodies\, which is often pursued through dangerous means\, such as dietary supplements\, fad diets\, and unconventional health trends. \n“In 2020\, unlike any other time\, mankind everywhere has been united against a common enemy: an invisible virus that has inltrated every land\, claimed thousands of deaths\, and brought the world\, as we know it\, to its knees\,” reads the book’s ofcial description. “The coronavirus pandemic rages\, but it doesn’t stop the reign of the many visible enemies that have plagued man from time immemorial – racism\, bigotry\, and religious discrimination\, to name a few. Even a deadly pandemic could not humble the ego of man\, and so mother nature has been rocked\, humanity has been tested\, and the earth is on trial.” \n“Earth on Trial\,” it adds\, reveals the “hard truths about the corrupt pharmaceutical industry and its insidious inuence\, which has frayed the fabric of our society\, particularly the millennial generation.” \n  URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/indian-american-activist-jeevan-zutshi-launches-second-book-earth-on-trial-fighting-the-invisible-and-visible-enemies/ CATEGORIES:19th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Image-64.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200528 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200529 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20230228T072627Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T114912Z UID:7363-1590624000-1590710399@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Indo American Community Foundation Holds Virtual Unity Dinner Amid COVID 19 Pandemic DESCRIPTION:Jeevan Zutshi\, founder of the Indo American Community Foundation\, kicked off the 19 annual Unity Dinner May 23\, held via Zoom this year due to the COVID 19 pandemic. “We have witnessed both positive and negative impacts during this crisis\,” said the long-time Indian American community activist. “We have lost our freedom to venture out\, but nature has defeated man for the rst time\,” said Zutshi\, seen here at the 2018 Unity Dinner. (IACF photo) \nFREMONT\, California — More than 2\,800 people Zoomed in May 23 for the Indo American\nCommunity Foundation’s 19 annual Unity Dinner. \nThe annual event\, which featured numerous Indian American political and civic leaders and local musicians\, was held virtually for the rst time\, as several Northern California counties reissued shelter-in-place orders amid the COVID 19 pandemic\, which has killed more than 101\,000 people nationwide as of May 27. \nThe usually peaceful event\, however\, saw long-time Rep. Anna Eshoo\, who was scheduled to give a keynote speech during the dinner\, reportedly nding herself unable to virtually enter the brieng when she attempted to speak on the call. Eshoo\, who represents portions of the Silicon Valley\, is being challenged by fellow Democrat Rishi Kumar\, who enjoys support within the Indian American community. An insider speculated to India-West that Eshoo might have purposely been left on the sidelines by a supporter for the challenger. \nBut Jeevan Zutshi\, founder of the Indo American Community Foundation\, told India-West that\nEshoo had accepted that it was a technical glitch on her part. “Due to technical issues\, she was\nunable to connect\,” he said.\nZutshi stands rmly behind Eshoo\, who has served California’s 18 Congressional District since 1993. “Anna has been a key supporter for the Indian American community. We need to be ambitious\, but not at the cost of members who have consistently supported us. I would love to see Anna win again and again\,” he said. \nDuring the March 3 California primary\, Kumar took second place to Eshoo\, with 16.3 percent of the vote. Eshoo garnered 61.7 percent. \n“We have witnessed both positive and negative impacts during this crisis\,” said Zutshi at the Unity Dinner. “We have lost our freedom to venture out\, but nature has defeated man for the rst time.” \nSpeaking at the event\, Rep. Ro Khanna\, D-California\, who represents portions of the Silicon Valley and Fremont\, criticized President Donald Trump for engaging in demagoguery and racial proling amid the pandemic. He  championed state and local leaders\, who\, he said\, “are focused on science\, solidarity\, and facts.” \n“We relied on our public health ofcials. We did not get on planes and we sheltered in place early\,” Khanna said of Californians. “The situation is not like New York.” \nNew York state has seen a staggering death toll of 23\,282 deaths from more than 360\,000 conrmed infections. \nKhanna extended his gratitude to front-line essential workers\, including health care professionals and “the guy who picks our trash up.” He advocated for fair pay for essential workers. \nFremont Vice Mayor Raj Salwan also championed essential workers. “Our lives have been turned completely upside down. We depend on our front-line workers.” \nSalwan optimistically said the crisis could bring about “our nest hour. Our children and our grandchildren will look back on this time and say we were strong.” \nOther community leaders who spoke at the dinner included: Fremont Mayor Lily Mei; California state Senator Bob Wieckowski; California state Assembly member Kansen Chu; Dave Cortese\, who sits on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors; Fremont Police Chief Kimberly Petersen; former Fremont city councilwoman Anu Natarajan; and Fremont re chief Curtis Jacobson. A number of local business owners also spoke about the impact of the pandemic on their small\nbusinesses. \nManeshwar Judge and Dr. Amitesh Mihra gave a musical performance as well as a quartet from Sangam Arts featuring musicians playing cello\, sitar\, tabla\, and pipa\, a Chinese stringed instrument. URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/indo-american-community-foundation-holds-virtual-unity-dinner-amid-covid-19-pandemic-2/ CATEGORIES:19th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Image-64.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200320 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200321 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20200320T064531Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T114945Z UID:6455-1584662400-1584748799@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Celebration of 19th Annual Unity Dinner DESCRIPTION:Celebration of 19th Annual Unity Dinner\nFriday\, March 20\, 2020\nIndian Community Center (ICC)\, 525 Los Coches St\, Milpitas\, CA 95035.\nA prominent group of more than 400 community members including organizations and public officials supported this signature event to network and promote unity in diversity. Nearly 35 public officials and senior lawmakers attended. \nRestoring Unity: The Path Forward for Kashmir \nIn keeping with our theme\, this year the IACF and “Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA)” planned a Panel discussion from 6:45 PM to 8:00 PM\, led by an esteemed Kashmir expert invited from Kashmir\, India to promote peace and understanding in Kashmir\, India. \nThe Unity Dinner features keynote speech\, Guest speakers\, Awards\, and a top-notch entertainment program. \nSpecial Guests: \nHon. Member of Congress Anna Eshoo\, \nHon. Lieutenant Governor of the State of California Eleni Kounalakis\, \nHon. Consul General of India Ambassador Sanjay Panda\, \nHon. California State Senator Bob Wieckowski \nMaster of ceremonies: Dr. Raj Salwan \nJeevan Zutshi Speech at IACF 25th Anniversary \n  URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/celebration-of-19th-annual-unity-dinner/ LOCATION:Indian Community Center (ICC)\, 525 Los Coches St\, Milpitas\, CA 95035 CATEGORIES:19th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/img_0194.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191019 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191020 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20221114T133345Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T115006Z UID:4191-1571443200-1571529599@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Kashmiri Pandits brief members of U.S. Congress on way forward in troubled state DESCRIPTION:WASHINGTON\, D.C.— Over 200 Kashmiri Pandits from across the U.S.\, descended on Capitol Hill on Oct. 16 to interact with U.S. lawmakers and their aides at a Congressional briefing titled\, ‘Kashmir\, the Way Forward\,’ in the aftermath of the government of India’s revoking Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that provides for special status for the Muslim-majority state of Kashmir. \n“The objective of the briefing was to promote pluralism\, reconnect and to reintegrate the hearts and minds of the people of Kashmir following the removal of Articles 370 and 35A on August 5\, 2019.” \nTaking the lead in organizing the briefing was the Indo-American Community Federation (IACF)\, founded by longtime Kashmiri Pandit activist Jeevan Zutshi\, who got Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D.-Calif.) to co-host the event. Partnering with the IACF\, were the Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA) and U.S.-India Political Action Committee (USINPAC)\, led by their chairpersons\, Dr. Shakun Malik and Sanjay Puri. \nBesides Eshoo\, among the lawmakers who marked their presence included Reps. Ro Khanna\, Mike Thompson\, Zoe Lofgren\, Mark Desaulneir and Dorthy Matsui\, all Democrats from California. \nThe chairman of House Foreign Affairs Committee\, Elliot Engel (D.-N.Y.) also attended the event\, and in his brief remarks\, said\, “Democratic and pluralistic communities are very much needed to live harmoniously\, and I commend all of you for promoting harmony across the globe.” \nEarlier\, Eshoo said\, “It is a testament to this worthy cause (of the Indian American community) that we have so many members of Congress here to support you\, including chairman Eliot Engel.” \n“I am very touched and can’t believe so much torture is being inflicted in Kashmir\,” she said\, apparently referring to the ethnic cleansing alleged by the Pandits\, who were driven from their homes in Jammu and Kashmir more than two decades ago due to the terrorism by alleged Pakistan-backed militants\, and have been living as refugees in various parts of India\, and now after the repeal of Article 370\, have been left wondering if they could return to their ancestral homes. \nKhanna\, in his remarks\, said\, “I was born in the USA in 1976\, and I am proud of my South Asian roots\, and I came to this briefing to grasp the many issues related to the Kashmiri community\, and I am glad that I am here tonight to learn more.” \n“Malik\, spoke of the sorry plight of the “ethnically cleansed Kashmiri Pandits and the discrimination faced by  Kashmiri women\, minorities and weaker sections of society due to Articles 370 and 35A\,” while Puri informed the lawmakers and aides present that “Kashmir is a very serious issues for Indian Americans.” \nHe said\, “It should also be an important issue to the U.S. as India is a vital partner\,” and exhorted that “we must continue to work together so that the future generations of Kashmir\, regardless of their background or religion\, have an opportunity for good education\, jobs and security.” \nJeff M. Smith\, Research Fellow and the head of the South Asia Program at the conservative Heritage Foundation\, recounted his previous visits to Kashmir and said\, he was touched by the heart-wrenching stories of Kashmiri Pandit victims and wondered why “these stories of genocide and ethnic cleansing have not been covered by the western press while Pakistan’s narrative about Kashmir has been getting wide press coverage.” \nHe also explained to the audience that U.S. policy on Kashmir continues to be that any resolution of the problem has to sorted out bilaterally between India and Pakistan without any third party intervention\, and that the recent revocations of Articles 370 and 35A are clearly ‹“the internal matters of India.” \nEarlier\, gripping personal stories by victims of Kashmiri terrorism\, particularly in 1990-1991 were shared by Swapna Raina\, Dr. Archana Kokroo\, and Sachin Koul\, while Dr. C Shaykher\, a cardiologist from Florida spoke about what he argued “are misconceptions about Hindutva” and provided a historic perspective of Kashmir\, emphasizing “that Kashmiri Hindus have a 5\,000-year documented civilizational legacy.” \nDr. Surinder Kaul\, International Coordinator of Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora\, stated that “the most dangerous framing of the issue in the U.S. media reporting is fanning religious polarization with the use of the Hindu Muslim binary\,” and asserted\, “The only binary that exists in Kashmir is that between peace and violence\, and the latter was introduced by the gun culture of the terrorists.” \nHe said that just in the past few weeks\, “terrorists aided and abetted by Pakistan have killed four innocent people in cold blood and are making attempts to disrupt public harmony.” Kaul also referred to the bellicose saber rattling by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his declarations of Jihad against India for the repeal of Article 370 and the alleged subjugation of the Kashmiri people in his eyes. \nZutshi who earlier had joined Eshoo in welcoming the U.S. lawmakers\, their aides and the hundreds of guests and other participants\, returned to the podium to address the question of ‘The Way Forward for India\,’ and emphasized that the “only way forward for Kashmir is to ensure that people of all religions\, including minorities live peacefully in Kashmir with justice\, security and economic opportunities for all.” \nHe expressed the hope that with the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35 A “will result in expanded and equal opportunities to all and a chance for the development of regions like Ladakh\, which have been neglected for far too long.” \nZutshi also made a fervent appeal “to my fellow Kashmiris\, that we must promote pluralism in the state so that all communities can live together as they did before Pakistani trained militants created mayhem and forced Kashmiri Pandits to leave Kashmir valley. IntraKashmiri dialogue\, exchange programs of students\, writers\, artists to offer their strengths in all the regions will definitely help in reconnecting and reintegrating hearts and minds of the\npeople.” \nHe also said that “we must educate community members to use discretion when making hurtful intolerant or bigoted comments on social media and elsewhere. I urge you to remember — secularism was not promoted by a law or by a constitutional belief — it was promoted by the ethos of the society. The ethos of our society in India has not changed\, and the ethos of India\, the Hindu ethos\, is very secular.” URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/indo-american-community-foundation-holds-virtual-unity-dinner-amid-covid-19-pandemic/ CATEGORIES:18th Annual Unity Dinner,Kashmiri Pandits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Kashmiri-Pandits.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190328 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190329 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20190328T080001Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T115027Z UID:6460-1553731200-1553817599@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:IACF Celebrates 25 Years\, Features Panel on Women at 18th Annual Unity Dinner DESCRIPTION:It was a dual celebration for the Indo-American Community Federation\, which concurrently celebrated its 25 anniversary 18 annual Unity Dinner at the India Community Center in Milpitas\, Calif.\, March 22. Seen here is IACF’s Indian American founder Jeevan Zutshi (right) being honored by U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo\, D-Calif.\, who was the night’s keynote speaker and Lif Achievement Award recipient\, with a ag own over the Capitol in Washington\, D.C. (In Focus Photography photo via IACF) \nMILPITAS\, Calif. – In celebrating 25 years\, the Indo-American Community Federation pulled out all\nthe stops for its 18 annual Unity Dinner event March 22 at the India Community Center here. \nAmong the guest speakers at the annual event\, themed “Women’s History and Contribution\,” and\nwhich coincided with the federation’s silver anniversary\, included U.S. Reps. Anna G. Eshoo and Ro\nKhanna\, both Democrats from California\, as well as Consul General of India in San Francisco Sanjay\nPanda.\nThe annual Unity Dinner event\, created by IACF to improve community involvement\, education\,\nhealth and understanding of different cultures\, was created in 2002 in the wake of the Sept. 11\,\n2001\, terror attacks to promote harmony and unity in diversity. \nIACF was founded as a nonprot by Indian American community activist Jeevan Zutshi in 1994 to\nbuild bridges with mainstream organizations\, diverse leaders\, think tanks and public ofcials.\n“The 25th Anniversary celebration of our organization\, which coincided with our signature Unity\nDinner 18th Annual event\, was received very enthusiastically by the community\, diverse leadership\nand lawmakers with two members of Congress\, members of Assembly\, county supervisors\, city\nmayors\, councilmembers and many other public ofcials\,” Zutshi told India-West. \n“IACF was conceived to inspire Indo-Americans to be a part and parcel of mainstream America by\nserving community at large. Today\, after 25 years\, we have a vice-mayor\, a congressman and so\nmany enthusiastic members of the Indo-American community vigorously involved in mainstream\nissues positively and have integrated with the American values bringing the best of Indian culture\nto blend with it\,” Zutshi added.\n“I feel that my vision of promoting unity and harmony has proved to be a blessing for my own\npersonal development and am rmly committed to continue in my mission to unite community\,” he\nsaid. \nEshoo\, who represents California’s 18 Congressional District\, was honored with the Lifetime\nAchievement Award at the event and served as the keynote speaker.\n“This evening is extraordinarily special for me and is for you\,” she said. “This organization (IACF)\nhas prospered over time\, where other organizations wear down over time.”\nEshoo thanked Zutshi for creating the federation\, which she said has made a difference and\ncontinues to make a difference. \n“I have a very deep understanding that our country is made stronger through its diversity\,” Eshoo\nstressed\, noting she experienced it in her family and sees it in her district. “We’re a nation of\nimmigrants and it is our greatest advantage.”\nEshoo also touched on the importance of the relationship between the U.S. and India\, and how she\nis working on upping the number of individuals from the country who can come to the U.S. on green\ncards.\n“My promise to (Zutshi and IACF) is that you have a sister (in me)\,” Eshoo said in response to\nreceiving the lifetime achievement award. \nThe congresswoman\, in conclusion\, awarded Zutshi for his 25 years of IACF with an American ag\nthat was own over the Capitol in Washington\, D.C.\nKhanna and Panda were also featured at the event as honored guest speakers.\nKhanna\, overjoyed to be back in the Bay Area and seeing the diversity\, called it “the future of the\nnation.”\n“The country is changing. It is extraordinarily diverse and that’s our strength\,” Khanna said. “Every\ntime I come back home\, I’m so inspired to represent this place.”\nKhanna believes the freshmen class in Congress is what the country is all about – diverse\, women\,\nyouth.\n“Now we have people in Congress from all walks of life\,” he said. The second-term congressman\nsaid Congress is now a more apt indication of what America is and those people will bring forward\nZutshi’s vision for unity. \nPanda\, who has been in his role since November 2018\, was speaking at the Unity Dinner for the rst\ntime since taking ofce.\nUsing the theme of the night\, Panda cited a quote apt for the event. “If you want something to be\nsaid\, ask a man. If you want something to be done\, ask a woman\,” he said.\nAdditionally\, there was a panel discussion on women’s history and contributions. Among the\npanelists were Alameda County District Attorney Nancy E. O’Malley; Fremont\, Calif.\, Police Chief\nKimberly Peterson; League of Women Voters president Syeda Reshma Inamdar; and Dr. Connie\nWun\, advocate\, educator\, researcher and a national expert on issues impacting women and girls of\ncolor. It was moderated by lawyer Anjali Shaykher Zutshi.\nThe panel discussion specically focused on the #MeToo movement.\nZutshi\, in kicking off the discussion\, noted that the movement isn’t just a women’s or girls’ issue\,\nbut affects everyone.\nO’Malley noted that social media\, as well as people who are in show business\, made the movement\nspread like wildre.\n“What’s important is that\, those who responded\, were from people from so many different\nbackgrounds just like us\,” O’Malley said.\nWun echoed O’Malley’s point\, adding that it is important that women are using their brand in\nleadership roles to bring in more victims and raise awareness.\nInamdar added that some of the perpetrators now faced some sort of accountability.\n“These powerful gures were nally held accountable where previously the women who came\nforward were held accountable\,” she said. “When women were considered human beings (receiving\nthe right to vote)\, the movement started to take shape.”\nThe police chief credited the snowball-like effect\, saying the movement has had strength in\nnumbers.\n“It has reached a tipping point and the time is right\,” Peterson said. \nIn shifting focus to the culture aspect of victims\, Inamdar noted that there has been a shift where\nthere was previously shame placed upon women or victims who came forward and that has changed\nwith the new wave of voices.\nPeterson used anecdotes as a younger police ofcer saying that in certain situations with cultural\ndifferences\, women were afraid to come forward and law enforcement didn’t get involved until it\nwas facing physical abuse allegations.\nWun talked about how her organization would travel across the country to hear what women deal\nwith in regards to sexual violence.\n“There’s an imagination (here in the U.S.) that we as women are supposed to accept that we are to\nbe acted upon\,” Wun explained. “What has been considered the norm can no longer be considered\nthe norm\, especially if there is no consent.”\nWun elaborated for several minutes on the cultural aspect of the movement\, noting women are\nfearful of many repercussions of coming forward.\n“What we want (victims) to know is that abuse\, sexual abuse and violence is never OK\,” district\nattorney O’Malley stressed.\nAnjali Zutshi opened the panel up to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh being conrmed into\nthe position despite facing sexual abuse allegations.\nThe panel spoke about how Christine Blasey Ford was right to come forward despite her allegations\nstemming from decades earlier.\n“I think women felt defeated\,” O’Malley said\, “but I think others felt inspired by her coming forward\nwhen she had nothing to gain from it.”\nWun seconded O’Malley’s point\, adding that\, as a survivor herself\, coming forward and having the\ncourage to speak out is not easy.\n“What she did was continue to speak and showed the world she would continue to speak\, and I\ndon’t believe she thought she was going to win\,” Wun noted\, adding that it is a win in itself not to\nbe silenced. \n“Kavanaugh escaped\, but that doesn’t mean the next one will\,” Inamdar said.\nThe panel wrapped up with the panelists talking about stories from their past and providing advice.\n“If something does happen\, speak up\,” O’Malley stressed. “It’s the courage that allows others to\ncome forward.”\nIn a male-dominated industry\, Peterson said that people were very respectful for the most part\, just\nat the shock at seeing her in the position she held\, citing her time on the SWAT team.\n“The millennial generation grows up expecting equality\,” she said. “To me\, that’s a positive change.\nI do think things are moving in the right direction.”\nWun said she has been experiencing #MeToo moments since she was in junior high\, to varying\ndegrees.\n“I got a Ph.D. at U.C. Berkeley so I could be the perfect woman so my story would be accepted\,” Wun\nstated. But she said she had dealt with too much trauma\, which led her to starting her own\nnonprot\, bypassing her aspirations to becoming an academic.\n“The rst thing you have to know is it’s not your fault\,” Wun advised. “No. 2\, you are not alone. And\nNo. 3\, you have to go through the process of healing.”\nGoing forward\, Inamdar said there needs to be more education for children as to what’s normal and\nwhat is not.\n“We need a lot of prevention\, and that’s through education and through society saying ‘this is not\nOK\,’” she said.\nEach of the panelists stressed the need to give everyone a voice\, and education in general will help\nas the movement continues to ratchet up.\nThe IACF also used the platform of the Unity Dinner to dole out several awards. In addition to\nEshoo being bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award\, AAPI Women Lead co-founder Wun was\nnamed Advocate of the Year; Alameda County administrator Susan Muranshi was honored with Excellence in Public Administration; Peterson was named the Public Safety Ofcer of the Year;\nVajraSoft Inc. chief executive Kameshwar Eranki was named Entrepreneur of the Year; and the\nRajasthan Association of North America was named Community Organization of the Year.\nThe event was attended by hundreds of community members\, including several dignitaries\, among\nwhom were California Assemblymembers Ash Kalra\, Kansen Chu and Evan Low; California State\nController Betty Yee; Newark\, Calif.\, Mayor Al Nagy; former Milpitas Mayor Jose Esteves; and\nseveral members of the Fremont City Council\, among many others. URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/iacf-celebrates-25-years-features-panel-on-women-at-18th-annual-unity-dinner/ CATEGORIES:18th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/image1_2019.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20150327 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20150328 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20221114T140854Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T115058Z UID:4200-1427414400-1427500799@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Unity Dinner: Immigration Must Be National Priority DESCRIPTION:Milpitas\, Calif. – Immigration must be a top priority to ensure the continued growth of the U.S. economy\, said Russell Hancock\, president and CEO of Joint Venture Silicon Valley\, on the sidelines of the 14 annual Unity Dinner\, held Mar. 20 at the India Community Center. \n“We’re fooling ourselves by thinking we can build fences to protect our national interests\,” Hancock – the keynote speaker at the evening event founded by Indian American Jeevan Zutshi – told IndiaWest. He advocated for an expansion of the H-1B skilled temporary worker program\, but declined to comment on a new initiative which would allot work authorization to the spouses of H-1B workers. \nH-4 visa holders – spouses of H-1B workers who are often as skilled as their partners – were previously denied work authorization. But U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services unveiled a new initiative Feb. 24 that would allow some H-4 visa holders to work. Indian spouses make up the majority of H-4 residents: 180\,000 people will be eligible in the rst year\, and 55\,000 will become eligible in successive years. \nThe annual Unity Dinner\, organized by the Indo American Community Federation\, brought together local\, state and national elected leaders and Indian American community and business leaders. Rep. Mike Honda\, D-Calif.\, California state Treasurer John Chiang; State Controller Betty Yee; and California state Assembly members Bill Quirk\, Kansen Chu and Evan Low were among the many politicians who attended the event. \nFremont Mayor Bill Harrison\, Cupertino Mayor Rod Sinks and Milpitas Mayor Jose Esteves also attended the dinner\, along with council members from several local cities. \nIn his keynote address\, Hancock acknowledged the vast contributions of immigrant workers – particularly Indian Americans – to the growth of the San Francisco Bay Area’s Silicon Valley. “Any technology company here is like the United Nations. You’ve got people from all over the world feverishly working to attain a common goal.” \n“The Silicon Valley is not an American phenomenon. It was built by people from everywhere\, working on a path to success\,” said Hancock\, the inaugural director of Stanford University’s Shorenstein Forum for Asia-Pacic Studies. \n“Most countries have a race\, religion or tribe that binds them together. What is unique about the U.S. is the lack of tribe that binds us. This country was based on the glue of nationhood\, liberty\, justice and opportunity\,” said Hancock\, noting that in 1776\, when America’s leaders were founding a democracy – including an elected president and Congress – most countries were still ruled by monarchies. “Two hundred and fty years later\, only the American institutions remain\,” he said. \nVenkatesan Ashok\, India’s new consul general in San Francisco\, also spoke about the impact of the co-mingling of cultures in his keynote address. “India is the best example of diversity compared to anywhere in the world\,” he said\, noting the numerous cultural communities\, languages and religions that make up the world’s largest democracy. \n“From that community\, you have come to this community\, another shining example of diversity\,” said Ashok\, who took ofce in November 2014 when former consul general N. Parthasarathi retired from public service and returned home to Bangalore. \nAshok spoke about a new directive issued by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi\, in which all Indian consulates and embassies throughout the world will celebrate the rst International Yoga Day. The United Nations declared the date after Modi’s address to the General Assembly\, urging nations to adopt the practice with the aim of fostering world peace. \nIn San Francisco\, the Indian Consulate has issued an open invitation to people “from the length and breadth of California\,” to participate in a day-long celebration of yoga at the Palace of Fine Arts. Per capita\, non-Indians do more yoga daily than Indians\, noted the affable diplomat\, adding: “We will be teaching ourselves the value of something that many people here already know.” \nAshok also addressed the troublesome visa process\, noting that the consulate is holding “visa camps” throughout the Bay Area\, in Fresno\, Calif.\, and Seattle\, Wash.\, to help people through the often tortuous process of applying for an Indian visa. \nFormer Cupertino\, Calif.\, Mayor Gilbert Wong – who now serves on the city council – told IndiaWest that the Silicon Valley township recently established a sister-city relationship with Bhubaneswar and hopes to promote cultural and educational partnerships. Cupertino currently has sister-city relationships with Hsinchu\, Taiwan; Toyokawa\, Japan; and Copertino\, Italy. Initially\, both cities will send six students over to experience the culture of each country. \nJeevan Zutshi\, founder of the IACF\, told India-West that the event had raised more than $5\,000 to support the Amit Zutshi Foundation. The foundation was created in 2008\, he said\, after Zutshi’s son abruptly died that March from the use of over-the-counter health supplements. Jeevan Zutshi has written a book about the tragedy – “The Last Smile” – which has been made into a featurelength lm. \nIn the non-documentary lm directed by Shankey Srinivasan\, Keith Stevenson plays Kapil\, a father searching for clues as to what killed his son. Danny Arroyo plays a detective who helps Kapil navigate the complex process of how drug manufacturers market their goods to a primarily-younger demographic concerned with body image. \n“The Last Smile” is scheduled to be released this May\, said Zutshi. URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/unity-dinner-immigration-must-be-national-priority/ CATEGORIES:14th Annual Unity Dinner,Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Unity_Dinner_Immigration.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20120330 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20120331 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20230228T093343Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T115131Z UID:7380-1333065600-1333151999@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:IACF-US Welcomes GOPIO SV Chapter and raise awareness for Creating Jobs in CA at the 2012 Unity Dinner DESCRIPTION:30 March 2012 \nIACF-US Welcomes GOPIO SV Chapter and raise awareness for Creating Jobs in CA at the 2012 Unity Dinner URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/iacf-us-welcomes-gopio-sv-chapter-and-raise-awareness-for-creating-jobs-in-ca-at-the-2012-unity-dinner/ CATEGORIES:12th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IACF-US-Welcomes-GOPIO-SV-Chapter-and-raise.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20120208 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20120209 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20120114T141754Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240208T094925Z UID:4203-1328659200-1328745599@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Blindly Seeing the World as One: Jeevan Zutshi DESCRIPTION:Blindly Seeing the World as One\nJeevan Zutshi\nBy Diana Rohini Lavigne\nJeevan Zutshi founded the Indo-American Community Federation (IACF-USA)\, a non-prot\, in 1994 to pave the way for Indo-Americans to get involved in mainstream activities. IACF helps build Indo-U.S. relations through educating law makers\, organizing international seminars and keeping an open dialogue with public ofcials in the U.S. and in India. \nAfter 9/11\, things changed in the United States. He created an annual Unity Dinner in association with his son\, Rahul Zutshi\, to help foster unity and understanding among a diverse number of community groups and leaders. The Unity Dinner has grown from a small event to a large-scale event and grabs the attention of some high prole members of Congress and the Senate as well as other government bodies. \nJeevan Zutshi’s background is as a civil engineer\, a teacher and a real estate broker. This jack of all trades hails from the strife torn state of Kashmir and has fought for the human rights and rehabilitation of Kashmiris in India\, who were forced to ee their homes as a result of terrorism since 1990. \n“Not only did IACF-USA bring other Indo-American factions and organizations together to support mainstream involvement but also brought together other diverse community leaders and organizations along with a host of policy makers and public ofcials\,” explains Zutshi. “I wish I could make people color blind and remove the word ‘hate’ from the dictionary replacing it with compassion and love.” \nSo it shouldn’t shock readers that these two world leaders are his biggest inuences; Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Both fought for human rights and spread the message of love and harmony across the globe and have inspired Jeevan in his work. \nWhen asked what his special skill is\, Jeevan said he has an uncanny way of recognizing good people and puts his effort towards showing them their value to him. Surrounding himself with like-minded good people is one skill that everyone should learn from this grand master of diversity and community. URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/blindly-seeing-the-world-as-one-jeevan-zutshi/ CATEGORIES:Blindly Seeing ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20100326 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20100327 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20230228T095114Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T115211Z UID:7386-1269561600-1269647999@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:IACF Celebrates Unity with Awards and awareness - Mar 26\, 2010\, shehjar DESCRIPTION:26 March 2010 \nIACF Celebrates Unity with Awards and awareness – Mar 26\, 2010\, shehjar URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/iacf-celebrates-unity-with-awards-and-awareness-mar-26-2010-shehjar/ CATEGORIES:9th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IACF-Celebrates-Unity-with-Awards-and-awareness-Mar-26-2010-Shehjar.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20070424 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20070425 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20230228T101009Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T115232Z UID:7391-1177372800-1177459199@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Celebrating Diversity: IACF Unity Dinner (2007) 6th unity dinner DESCRIPTION:Celebrating Diversity: IACF Unity Dinner (2007) 6th unity dinner URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/celebrating-diversity-iacf-unity-dinner-2007-6th-unity-dinner/ CATEGORIES:6th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Celebrating-DiversityIACF-Unity-Dinner-2007-6th-annual-dinner.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20070406 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20070407 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20230228T100158Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T115252Z UID:7388-1175817600-1175903999@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Sixth Unity Dinner a big draw (2007) 6th unity dinner DESCRIPTION:6 April 2007 \nSixth Unity Dinner a big draw (2007) 6th unity dinner URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/sixth-unity-dinner-a-big-draw-2007-6th-unity-dinner/ CATEGORIES:6th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Sixth-Unity-Dinner-a-big-draw-2007-6th-annual-dinner.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20070403 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20070404 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20230228T101617Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T115410Z UID:7395-1175558400-1175644799@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Tri-city who's who at glittering IACF dinner 2007\, 6th annual dinner DESCRIPTION:03 April 2007 \nTri-city who’s who at glittering IACF dinner 2007\, 6th annual dinner URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/tri-city-whos-who-at-glittering-iacf-dinner-2007-6th-annual-dinner/ CATEGORIES:6th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Tri-city-whos-who-at-glittering-IACF-dinner-2007-6th-annual-dinner.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20060407 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20060408 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20230228T102448Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T115450Z UID:7398-1144368000-1144454399@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Unity Dinner 2006 - a Sellout Event (5th annual dinner) DESCRIPTION:7 April 2006 \nUnity Dinner 2006 – a Sellout Event (5th annual dinner) URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/unity-dinner-2006-a-sellout-event-5th-annual-dinner/ CATEGORIES:5th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Unity-Dinner-2006-a-Sellout-Event-5th-annual-dinner.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20050124 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20050125 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20230228T104217Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T115512Z UID:7401-1106524800-1106611199@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Unity Dinner 2005 Press Coverage by India West Newspaper DESCRIPTION:24 January 2005 \nUnity Dinner 2005 Press Coverage by India West Newspaper URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/unity-dinner-2005-press-coverage-by-india-west-newspaper/ CATEGORIES:4th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Unity-Dinner-2005-Press-Coverage-by-India-West-newspaper-4th-annual-dinner.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20041210 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20041211 DTSTAMP:20260403T193424 CREATED:20230228T104743Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T115554Z UID:7404-1102636800-1102723199@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Indo-American Community Federation\, kick-off\, Unity Dinner 2004 (3th annual dinner) DESCRIPTION:10 December 2004 \nIndo-American Community Federation\, kick-off\, Unity Dinner 2004 (3th annual dinner) URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/indo-american-community-federation-kick-off-unity-dinner-2004-3th-annual-dinner/ CATEGORIES:3th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Indo-American-Community-Federation-kick-off-Unity-Dinner-2004-3rd-annual-dinner.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20031114 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20031115 DTSTAMP:20260403T193425 CREATED:20230228T111554Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T115620Z UID:7413-1068768000-1068854399@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Pallone Hosts Hearing on Plight of Kashmiri Pandits (2003) DESCRIPTION:14 November 2003 \nPallone Hosts Hearing on Plight of Kashmiri Pandits (2003) URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/pallone-hosts-hearing-on-plight-of-kashmiri-pandits-2003/ CATEGORIES:2th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Pallone-Hosts-Hearing-on-Plight-of-Kashmiri-Pandits-2003.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20030124 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20030125 DTSTAMP:20260403T193425 CREATED:20230228T110747Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T115722Z UID:7410-1043366400-1043452799@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Dinner for Unity on 24th January 2003 - A Report by India Currents December 2\, 2002 DESCRIPTION:24 January 2003 \nDinner for Unity on 24th January 2003 – A Report by India Currents December 2\, 2002 URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/dinner-for-unity-on-24th-january-2003-a-report-by-india-currents-december-2-2002/ CATEGORIES:2th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Dinner-for-Unity-on-24th-January-2003.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20030124 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20030125 DTSTAMP:20260403T193425 CREATED:20230228T110146Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T115639Z UID:7407-1043366400-1043452799@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Second Unity Dinner in California Focuses on Peace and Harmony (2nd Unity Dinner) DESCRIPTION:24 January 2003 \nSecond Unity Dinner in California Focuses on Peace and Harmony (2nd Unity Dinner) URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/second-unity-dinner-in-california-focuses-on-peace-and-harmony-2nd-unity-dinner/ CATEGORIES:2th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Second-Unity-dinner-in-California-focuses-on-peace-and-harmony-2ND-UNITY-DINNER.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20020121T080000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20020121T170000 DTSTAMP:20260403T193425 CREATED:20230228T112446Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230301T120720Z UID:7416-1011600000-1011632400@indocommunity.us SUMMARY:Unity Dinner 2002 on 25th Jan' 2002 - The Indo-American Community Federation's first annual event Unity Dinner 2002 with Live musical entertainment by Melody Queen Alka Bhatnagar DESCRIPTION:21 January 2002 \nUnity Dinner 2002 on 25th Jan’ 2002 – The Indo-American Community Federation’s first annual event Unity Dinner 2002 with Live musical entertainment by Melody Queen Alka Bhatnagar URL:https://indocommunity.us/event/unity-dinner-2002-on-25th-jan-2002-the-indo-american-community-federations-first-annual-event-unity-dinner-2002-with-live-musical-entertainment-by-melody-queen-alka-bhatnagar/ CATEGORIES:1th Annual Unity Dinner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://indocommunity.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/1st-annual-unity-dinner.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR