On July 11th Indian High Commissioner His Excellency SM. Gavai and his wife Rina Gavai visited Calgary during the Calgary stampede. In his honour a reception was arranged by Calgary MPs Mr. Deepak Obhrai and Mr. Devinder Shory at the South View Community Hall 2020 – 33rd St SE. The event was well attended. INCA executive were present to greet the High Commissioner and his wife. On this occasion an operation eyesight certificate with the following wordings was presented to the High commissioner:

His Excellency S.M Gavai
The High Commissioner of India

The India Canada Association of Calgary has made a donation for the restoration of eyesight in honour of the visit to Calgary on July 11, 2010 of His Excellency S.M. Gavai, the High Commissioner of India.

To celebrate Calgary Stampede and keeping up our tradition of previous years and with the commitment of INCA on excellence the committee lead by Mrs. Nirupama Nagarajappa worked hard to organize this event. East Indian vegetarian breakfast was served with special Indian tea to over 300 people. Thanks to the entire executive in particular Nirupama Nagarajappa, co-opted members and volunteers who worked hard to make this function a grand success. The event was supported financially by the following families and organizations. INCA thanks them for their support and cooperation.

George and Susannah Kurian
Chaman and Nirmal Narang
Titus and Sarah Mathews
Ashok and Kanchan Bhasin
Pratap and Kamlesh Varshney
Kal and Ratna Mahadev
Bengali Association of Calgary
Raga Mala Society of Calgary


 

A boy police say was no older than five has died after falling from a C-Train platform in downtown Calgary and being hit by a train.

The incident happened just after noon on Tuesday at the Third Street S.W. platform in front of TD Square.

Witnesses told CBC News that an older man was running with a boy to catch the eastbound Somerset C-Train, which was stopped at the platform.

The boy fell head-first as the train began moving and was pulled into the space between one of the C-Train cars and the platform, said Calgary police acting duty Insp. Terry Larson.

The child died at the scene.

"Depending on the movement of the train itself, sometimes you can fall in between the train and then get caught in the train as it's moving," explained Brian Whitelaw, Calgary Transit's co-ordinator of public safety and enforcement.

Witnesses screamed and pushed the emergency help buttons inside the train as well as on the platform. Some people tried to administer CPR to the child, said Larson.

Witnesses were visibly distraught as they gave statements to police.

David Ezeronye, 16, had just got off the train when he said he heard screaming.

"We get off only to see a little boy, his head was stuck between the train and the platform, so I'm guessing he fell over," Ezeronye said.

Orange and yellow tarp covered the child's body and the side of the C-Train.

Police have brought in an interpreter to interview the man who was with the boy, who police say is his grandfather.

Calgary Transit will provide security video to police and conduct a mechanical investigation, said Whitelaw.

Traffic in the area was halted for the police investigation. 

The INCA AGM was held as scheduled on April 11, 2010 with Mr. Surinder Rehill (1^st VP) presiding over the AGM.  The agenda was well conducted with mutual respect and understanding among all the council members without undue digressions or deviations.   The president’s report detailed  all the effort put in during the year,   to further improve the image of INCA  by striving towards excellence in every activity undertaken, whilst upholding a sense of profound rapport amongst all the INCA committee members. It has also included areas where more work has to be done by the incoming committee.

The nomination committee members of the INCA election for 2010 were as follows: - 
 
        Vinay Dattani    (Chairperson) 
        Pratap Varshney 
        Ravi Meda

Though there were no contenders for any of the positions, the nomination committee members are appreciated for having conducted the procedure with efficiency.

The INCA committee members for 2010 – 2011 are as follows: 
 
        President:                    Kal Mahadev       

       Vice Presidents:           Uma Thakor 
                                          Nirupama Nagarajappa
 
        Secretary:                   Madhura Keshavan  

        Treasurer                    Rekha Bhatt 

        Past President:           Senan Mathummal

       Youth Coordinator     Gerrin George 
  

Co-opted Members 
 
        Surinder Rehill          Surendra Bhandari 

        Mangala Joshi           Channi Toor 

        Mickie Macwan        Mira Murli            
       
I take this opportunity on behalf of myself and the new executive INCA to sincerely appreciate all the dedicated services rendered by the outgoing executive and Co-opted members who have dedicated lot of time and effort, particularly Mr. Senan Mathummal who as the president for the last two years has set high standards. 

Thank you and warm regards 
Kal Mahadev

The India Canada Association of Calgary  held its 40th anniversary celebrations  on Jan 30, 2009 that pulled in a crowd of more than 400 people.  The Chief Guest was the Honorable Jim Prentice, Federal Minister of the Environment and the Special Guest was the Honorable Lindsay Blackett MLA, Minister of Culture and Community Spirit. Both the guests were ushered in by the INCA Executive Committee Members along with Mr. Devinder Shory MP Calgary Northeast  led by the INCA Youth Coordinator, Madhura Keshavan,  the INCA flag bearer. This was with the  accompaniment  of the Calgary Police Bag Piper Darin Phalen.  It was a ceremonial welcome indeed.

The event on the whole was  a joyous and festive occasion for all those who attended.  Many were full of praise and appreciation for INCA.  Apart from some technical problems  that affected the mike and the power point projections the crowd had a great time with the fabulous food served and  the  excellent stage performances.  As most of the seats were under table bookings the socialization was on going until the end.  It was a great moment for close friends, associates and family members to come together for an INCA function that must have generated greater sense of belonging to the organization.  In this way the function was a resounding success  that augurs well for the future of INCA.  Though Minister Blackett could not stay long due to prior commitment, Minster Jim Prentice and his wife expressed their appreciation  of having attended the function with such a large number of people  and it was heartening to note when the Minister exalted INCA in his speech as an Institution of Excellence  -  INCA’s motto.

In the process of my  appreciation of  all the former presidents who were able to attend,   very unfortunately I made the inadvertent error of not calling out Dr. Indernath Kher’s name. However it was a consolation for me when he graciously accepted my apologies.   May I also extend my appreciation to Dr. Brij Sood who did not fail to attend any of  the organizing committee’s meetings and  was always upfront with  needful advice. He did extremely well in helping out in the  sale of tickets.  Well done Dr. Sood.  Mr. Ram Chengkalath was so very concerned about the event that he was  in touch with me on the phone and email, even when he was away on holiday in  Bangalore, India.  This was a great gesture by him.

As the function was tapering down, the stunning scene of  the whole crowd on the dance floor,  gyrating with  contortions to the musical upbeat was just unbelievable. People were simply ecstatic.  This went on till past midnight and it was a clear indication that our members, be it young or old, need such  outlets at  INCA.  Surendra Bhandari was like an African warrior , rushing from corner to corner with gusto and capacity.  He was absolutely enjoying himself with great fun.

It was definitely a memorable evening that will have very special significance to all  those who had attended and all the more to the organizing committee members  who should feel gratified for all the hard work put in.

The next great project INCA would embark upon  will be the Multicultural (Hope for Haiti )Gala Night – 2010  at the Epcor Centre, Calgary on March 28, 2010 along with the Southern Alberta Heritage & Language Association (SAHLA). The tickets will be at $10.00 per head.  This program  will be dedicated to the Haiti Earthquake victims and we expect a crowd of at least 1200 people.  Let us all start publicizing the event to all our friends and associates.

Thank you and warm regards.
Senan Mathummal


 

Re: INCA 40^th Anniversary Celebrations  (Special info for  Affiliated Presidents)

The INCA 40^th Anniversary Organizing Committee met yesterday – Dec 10, 2009 with almost full attendance despite the inclement weather.  We are pleased to inform you that the ticket sale and table bookings for the 40^th anniversary celebrations have begun.  The table reservations with the stage as the focus  will be on a priority basis.  Anyone desirous of purchasing the tickets or of booking the tables should contact the INCA Office at 403-277-0206 or contact one of the committee members as indicated on the brochure - ref. email.

INCA would very much appreciate if all the INCA Affiliated Organizations could at least book a table each so that our community could be well represented under well designed labels  displayed.   Some Affiliated Presidents have already booked the tables and we are waiting for responses from  the others.     If any of the Affiliated Presidents would like the tickets to be delivered please let me know as I could personally oblige or make some arrangements.  Dr. Brij Sood has kindly consented to handle the sale of tickets at the Hindu Mandir.

Finally we would like to have short’ write ups’  related to the merits of an affiliated Indo-Canadian Community in Calgary or something to that effect from each of our Affiliated Presidents  that could be published in our Souvenir Program Booklet which would be worth a keep.   This will be officially released on Jan 30, 2009 during the event.  Any others who would like to contribute are  welcome. The write-up along with a passport size picture should reach the INCA Office by January first week 2010.   All the former Presidents of INCA have been interviewed so that their sentiments and best wishes could be relayed through the power point presentation.  Adequate media coverage will also be made available for the function.

The INCA Committee appreciates Mr. Uday Thakor, the President of Ragha Mala Music Society of Calgary   for the beautifully designed  cover page of the sponsorship brochure.  He is now in the process of designing the poster which will be out for display  very soon.

Let me now conclude by expressing my gratitude to all the committee members who are well armed with brochures and tickets to get as many of our community members  as  possible to   attend and celebrate this momentous occasion in  Calgary.

We shall keep you posted as preparations progress.

Thank you and warm regards.

Senan Mathummal

The INCA Council Meeting  on Oct 11, 2009 was productive with proactive suggestions and deliberations The main item on the agenda was the INCA 40th anniversary celebrations. All members present were unanimously  supportive to make it a grand function in keeping with   INCA’s role as a unifying force for the various sectors of our community. It is definitely a milestone in our history in Calgary.

It was also agreed that in order to conduct  a function of this magnitude the commitment and cooperation  of not only the members of the INCA Committee and  Council members  but also of all the Affiliated Organizations was absolutely inevitable.  Some of the Affiliated Presidents who were present have already promised their support and cooperation.  The current plan is to hold the function in January 2010 .  Preparations are to begin immediately and members will be kept informed of the progress.

Sudha Menon will actively initiate the INCA Women’s Wing on October 31, 2009 with an appeal to all Affiliated Presidents to encourage participation from their respective members to further increase the current number registered. This will also allow a better spread of membership from a wider spectrum of our community.


The following president’s report was submitted at the Council Meeting on Oct 11, 2009 as a candid account of activities  conducted  after the previous Council Meeting – June 21, 2009..

Welcome to everyone and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving Day.

After the INCA Council Meeting held on June 21st 2009 the INCA Committee plunged into various activities that kept our plates  full.  The Council will appreciate that every activity conducted so far has been with a touch of excellence .  In this report I have been analytical in certain areas so that we could further improve in our future attempts.
 
The INCA Seniors’ Club held a “potluck” meeting on April 24th, 2009 when a sub-committee was struck under the chairmanship of Vinay Dattani.  The members on the committee are Romesh Anand, Preti Bhandari, Ravinder Jain and Mangala Joshi.  The Committee will pursue a well drawn action plan for the Club members.

On May 24th around 27 U of C youth members joined hands with the INCA Seniors to make sandwiches for the Drop-in-Centre.  A donation was made by INCA to defray expenses. On June 12th an excellent  Health Seminar was organized by the Seniors’ Club Committee along with help rendered by Draupadi  at the INCA Office.

The INCA Stampede Breakfast on July 4, 2009 attracted an unexpectedly huge crowd of people that  did entail some food shortage at the tail end of the program.  This inadvertent  happening has been noted for remedial action in the next attempt.  As the crowd seem to be increasing each time, some arrangements should be sought  to facilitate  greater space for the people. One suggestion would be to secure the use of the public car park close to the building for the duration of the Stampede Breakfast.  The other area to be activated is to attract more main stream Canadians  to participate in the event  However the success of the 2009 event with so much of enthusiastic crowd served by extremely courteous committee members and volunteers, upholding a cheerful environment all through,  was also a reflection of the efficient leadership of the Coordinator Nirupama Nagarajappa who is definitely a great  asset to us in this field with all her past experiences.

On August 8th, 2009 a health walk cum picnic was organized by the Seniors’ Club Committee at the Elbow Fall.  The 33 participants had a hilarious time with fun and frolic accompanied with sing-a-along  sessions.  Eating of healthy food was also highlighted. It was an excellent activity indeed with so much of nature rambling.

The Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association  worked with INCA in a sandwich making program for the Drop-in-Centre on Aug 10, 2009. Draupadi Karadia  helped to get volunteers from the Seniors group as well as some youth members. INCA should explore and conduct  other activities of this nature to serve the community. 

As you will be aware that the 62nd anniversary of India’s Independence day celebrations was exceptionally well conducted on Aug 15, 2009. Abundance  of praiseworthy comments were received from the guests for having conducted the event with finesse and style.  The guests enjoyed a variety of food items that were elegantly arranged for serving.  Special credit for this goes to Nirupama and her team consisting of Rekha Bhatt, Uma Sangal, Shrutika Singh, Preti Bhandari and Draupadi Karadia.. The Guest of Honor was Dr. Jayshree Bhatt.

Very special mention of C.D.Lad for all his relentless effort to get the hall painted  to be  ready for the function .   INCA applauds C.D. Lad  for his dedication.

The  participation of INCA in the 2009 Global Fest  was an excellent success.  This is mainly due to the fact that Rekha Bhatt made it a point to take some remedial actions to avoid mistakes of 2008.  However the INCA food vendor  Raj Palace Restaurant had to go through the unpleasant experience of having another stall next to his, selling   similar  type of cuisine. INCA will have to impress upon the Global Fest organizers not to have vendors selling the same type of   items close to each other  in the next year’s arrangement.  I am sure the other vendor would have had the same feeling.

On 30th Aug INCA hosted a musical recital by the renowned singer Raghbir Singh from London England -  a close associate of Surnider Rehill.  The program was just fantastic transporting  the audience into a musical ecstasy that ended in a spontaneous dancing  session  on the floor.

The Seniors’  Seminar held on Oct 1, 2009 was extremely informative as the presenters Ayda Tehrani from the Kerby Centre and Marjory Buerger, the Information Officer from Seniors’ Community and Support Department  were extremely explicit in relaying all information pertaining to their respective professional commitment.  However unfortunately the attendance was not encouraging though Draupadi tried  her best to pull in the crowd.

The Seminar / Workshop conducted for INCA  Affiliated Presidents  was extremely  successful  with  around 70 participants that allowed scope for ‘cross fertilization’ amongst all the Affiliated Organizations. It was not an easy task to get such a crowd for a seminar but INCA succeeded. More such activities will be in the pipeline to provide greater interaction and closeness amongst all the Affiliated Organizations. When formulating the next program there should be time allocation for the various presidents to interact and exchange areas of concern that would lead to remedial actions.  The speakers on the panel Shari Hanson of the Alberta Culture and Community Department. Dr. Kal Mahadev of the Hindu Society and U of C, Surinder Rehill INCA VP1 and Uma Thakor INCA VP2 exerted themselves very well in impacting the participants with adequate research and preparations on the topic “Professionalism in Volunteer Services” The Affiliated Presidents were also vocal in presenting their difficulties and aspirations. All the Affiliated Organizations except one were represented in the Seminar / Workshop. It is gratifying to note that interactions have already begun between Affiliated Organizations.  Rahul Kohli the President of SILPA has liaised with Raga Mala Music Society of Calgary to organize combined activities.  Rajeshree Desai the President of the Marathi Bhashik Association will be working with other Affiliated Organizations to promote the showing of documentary Indian films that is being initiated by Niru Bhatia

In conclusion I would like to express my grateful thanks to all the INCA Committee Members and volunteers for  being so very close to each other and working hard for every activity with a conscious effort towards excellence. Personally it has been a great joy for me to be part of this wonderful fraternity. Let me end with  advanced greetings for a Happy and Prosperous Diwali. Thank you.  With warm regards.

Senan Mathummal

Congratulations to Rekha Bhatt, the INCA Global Fest Coordinator for a job well done.  Those who have been to the Global Fest 2009 will agree that the whole program was an excellent success with a marked improvement to that of last year.
 
The India (INCA) pavilion décor was superb and thanks to Sai Sharma the President of the Radha Madhav Cultural Association.  Raj Palace, the food vendor for INCA made sure that the Indian cuisine was very much appreciated by the people.  Very special ‘thank you’ to all the volunteers who  rendered  excellent  service. INCA will never forget them. Surinder Rehill, VP -  INCA  was always available to make sure that everything went on well.

We shall all take great pride  for the standard INCA had maintained all through the Global Fest.

On 30th August we were fortunate to have had the renowned singer Raghbir Singh to be with us from London England.  His powerful renditions just transported the audience to musical ecstasy that made everybody  dance by the end.  Hopefully we would have more occasions with him.   He was just great. 

Forthcoming activities at INCA:-

Sept 19, 2009 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.   INCA Committee Mtg
Sept 19, 2009 3.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.   INCA Council Meeting
Oct  03, 2009 10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.  Seminar for Affiliated
                                                                  Presidents of  INCA 

Oct 31, 2009 3.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.   Women’s Conference
Nov 21, 2009      40th Anniversary Celebrations of INCA
                            (information in due course)

Thank you and warm regards
Senan Mathummal
 

Ever since the AGM held on April 5, 2009 the INCA Committee members have been kept busy with various activities as per enumeration.

On April 24th the INCA Seniors Club organized a ‘potluck’ meeting which was well attended. In this meeting the members elected  a sub-committee under the chairmanship of Vinay Dattani in order to formulate an action plan for the club. The committee members are:- Vinay Dattani (Chairperson) Romesh Anand, Preti Bhandari, Ravinder Jain and Mangala Joshi.

On May 24th some 27 youth members from the U of C and INCA joined hands to make sandwiches for the Drop-In-Centre.  This program was conducted at the INCA premises under the purview of Draupadi Karadia, the INCA RC Coordinator. A donation was made by INCA to defray the expenses. 

On June 12th the newly formed committee of the INCA Seniors’ Club  held an excellent Health Seminar which also included yoga demonstration for the seniors. This was indeed a very valuable and informative session for all those who attended.

The INCA Stampede Breakfast which was held on July 4th attracted an unexpectedly huge crowd especially in the earlier part of the day.  It was a very successful event and the credit goes to Nirupama Nagarajappa, the Coordinator and her dedicated team of volunteers who  will definitely be acknowledged and recognized during the INCA volunteers appreciation  program.  Very encouraging comments were received from individuals who had attended and also by  email.
 
On August 8th a health walk and picnic was organized by the INCA Seniors’ club at the Elbow Fall.  There were 33 participants who had a hilarious time of fun and frolic with sing along sessions and sharing of jokes. The scenic environment was absolutely conducive to a healthy walk and relaxation.  Healthy food eating was also highlighted .

A sandwich making program for the needy was held at the INCA premises on Aug 10, 2009. This project was initiated by the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association to work with INCA .  Draupadi Karadia, the INCA RC Coordinator helped to get volunteers from the Seniors Club to render help along with the CIWA members in making the sandwiches.   

The 62nd anniversary of India’s independence day celebration was exceptionally well  conducted on August 15, 2009. A big thank you to all the members and volunteers whose  hard work and commitment made the independence day of India celebrations a resounding success.   The feedback from the guests was just full of praise for the INCA Committee for having conducted the event with finesse and style.  The guest speaker was Dr. Jayshree Bhatt who spoke very eloquently on the impact made by India in many parts of the world towards the concept of freedom and democracy. 

The ‘flag ceremony’ was performed with great solemnity  and respect. Madhura the MC made sure that the program moved without any hitch. Her renditions of the national anthems made the guests join in whole heartedly.  Archana’s singing of the song Vande Matharam was just melodious.  Mr. Swarn Singh, a Rotarian from the Punjab and a close associate of Romash Anand, obliged the audience with his excellent singing of a patriotic song. The dance performance of Shrutika’s students  made a joyous impact on all those who were present.  Channi’s dance troupe gave an excellent finale for the whole program. 

The guests also enjoyed a variety of food items that were elegantly arranged for serving. The credit for this goes to Nirupama Nagarajappa who worked hard along with her team of volunteers viz. Rekha Bhatt, Uma Sangal, Shrutika Singh, Preti Bhandari and Draupadi Karadia.

I will not forgive myself if I did not express my special appreciation of  C.D. Lad for all his relentless effort to get the hall painted and ready for the function on time – he did a great job.  He also joined Surinder Rehill and me to arrange and organize the hall on the previous day. My grateful thanks to some of the former INCA presidents and INCA Affiliated Presidents who were able to make it for the function.

Thank you and warm regards.
Senan Mathummal

After the AGM held on April 5, 2009 we had conducted two INCA Committee Meetings, in which the members had a clear message  to further improve not only the image of INCA but also to be more vigilant towards excellence in every activity undertaken.  We have been fortunate in having the continued services of all the former office-bearers of the last term with the added inclusion of Rekha Bhatt as our Treasurer.  Rekha does not need any introduction as her name has been  synonymous with INCA for the past several years.

Apart from the usual activities to be conducted I am happy to inform you that INCA will soon be embarking on the formation of the INCA Women’s Wing as mentioned in my last AGM report.  This is to be treated as a sequel to the women’s workshop that was held in 2007.  The INCA Committee has nominated Sudha Menon as the Coordinator for the women’s wing and a special  inauguration ceremony will be held in September / October 2009. Activities for the Women’s Wing will be organized according to the aspirations of the members who will be reflective of all our Affiliated Organizations.  At this juncture may I kindly request  all of you to relay this message to all your friends and associates who could become members of the women’s group. The registration procedure and details will be circulated in due course.  Similar to the Seniors’ Club the Women’s Wing will also become a great fraternity, to benefit every member of the group.

It is gratifying  to note that the INCA Seniors’ Club has built up great momentum to become an established part of INCA. In fact it has almost become the ‘talk of the town’ these days.  The emphasis has been and will always be on the ‘club’ concept that would render  a fraternity with strong interpersonal relationships. All the activities conducted so far  have been extremely successful.  A Seniors’ Sub-Committee has been formed.

INCA supported a group of youth members from the U of C to conduct  a service-oriented project last month. They  prepared and distributed sandwiches for the needy at  the Mustard Seed  in Calgary. This was done under the purview of the INCA Youth Coordinator Madhura Keshavan.  The project was initiated by Vishal Varshney.  Hopefully this will encourage the youth members to become part of INCA in order to conduct more such benevolent activities.

The INCA Resource Centre is still trying to make relentless effort in pursuit of helping our community members in need of help and assistance. However may I hasten to add that more work has to be done to genuinely justify the existence of the Centre. After consultation with the INCA Committee I would like to initiate an ‘open house’ to create further publicity and to get adequate feedback in terms of helping our community members mainly focusing on youth development. I seek the help of all our Affiliated Organizations to make an exhaustive effort in publicizing this facility through all your respective members.

In keeping with my AGM report,  INCA will  conduct a ‘workshop’ cum conference specially organized for the Affiliated Presidents with the primary objective of building closer rapport and cohesiveness amongst all the affiliated organizations.  In this the Affiliated Presidents will have the opportunity to present papers for plenary ratification mainly on the theme ‘professionalism in voluntary services’  INCA will get the assistance of the Alberta Community Development with the contacts made by Uma Thakor to organize this activity.  Invitation will also be extended to all the Council Members and the former Presidents of INCA.   Needless to mention that all the Affiliated Organizations belong to INCA and in turn INCA belongs to  all the Affiliated Organizations. .  This realization should never fade away from us as our ultimate objective is to have a very united East Indian community in Calgary.
 
We shall all take great pride for having set up a revamped  website for INCA,  launched at the INCA Council Meeting held on June 21, 2009 with up-to-date information for the viewers.  Special thanks to Rajesh Angal who is our webmaster. He has also agreed to constantly monitor the website and keep it updated at regular intervals. Along with Rajesh I would also like to appreciate all the effort put in by Surinder Rehill and Draupadi Karadia with a sincere attempt towards  excellence. Appreciation also goes to Dr. Titus Mathews and Vinay Dey for the write-up on the 40 years of INCA history  as a tribute to the 40th anniversary of this great organization.    

INCA will be busy from now with all the activities that are lined-up for the term.  The immediate ones are the Stampede Breakfast  on July 4, 2009 and the Global Fest in August.  The Independence  Day  of  India celebrations  will  be  held on August 15, 2009.  Details of the program will be disseminated in due course.  Thank you and warm regards. 

Senan Mathummal

The INCA AGM was held as scheduled on April 5, 2009 with  excellent attendance and proper decorum.  The agenda was well conducted with mutual respect and understanding among all the council members without undue digressions or deviations.   The president’s report indicated all the effort put in,   to further improve the image of INCA  by striving towards excellence in every activity undertaken, whilst upholding a sense of profound rapport amongst all the INCA committee members. It has also included areas where more work has to be done by the incoming committee – ref. attachment of report.

The nomination committee members of the INCA election for 2009 were as follows:-

        Vinay Dattani    (Chairperson)
        Pratap Varshney
        Kal Mahadev

Though there were no contenders for any of the positions,  the nomination committee members are  appreciated for having conducted the procedure with efficiency.

The INCA committee members for 2009 – 2010 are as follows:

        President:                    Senan Mathummal
        Vice Presidents:            Surinder Rehill
                                          Uma Thakor
        Secretary:                    Nirupama Nagarajappa
        Treasurer                     Rekha Bhatt
        Past President              Synu John

        Co-opted Members

        Surendra Bhandari         Biren Das Biswas
        Sudha Menon               Mangala Joshi
        Krishna Murti Goll           Madhura Keshavan
        Channi Toor   

I take this opportunity on behalf of INCA to sincerely appreciate all the dedicated services rendered by the outgoing Treasurer Shrutika Singh during her tenure of service.  She displayed tremendous efficiency in presenting the financial statements during all the council meetings  along with liaising with the external auditor.

Thank you and warm regards.
Senan Mathummal

INCA conducted the Republic Day of India celebrations along with the  certificate presentation ceremony for the volunteers most successfully, on Jan 24, 2009.  The hard work and dedication of the event coordinator Biren Das Biswas and the INCA committee members have been very much appreciated.  Special guests Devinder Shory MP for Calgary North East, Deepak Obhrai MP for Calgary East and Moe Amery MLA for Calgary East were present to give away the certificates.

In the final analysis 115 volunteers received  certificates of appreciation for their dedicated and sincere services though some of them could not attend the ceremony.  INCA is proud of her volunteers who have build a great sense of belonging to the organization.  We shall always admire and salute them.

On January 31, 2009 was the inauguration  of the INCA Seniors’ Club.  The ceremony was officiated by Dr. Brij Sood who had some very kind  and purposeful advice for the members.  He emphasized on the fact that the club members who are aspiring to make the seniors group a great fraternity should avoid getting involved in politics and religion.  They should also take pride in being Canadians.

 Vinay Dattani the coordinator has done an excellent job of not only volunteering to shoulder the responsibility but also to enlist feed back from the members in order to work on an action plan for the Seniors Club. This could involve social activities, guest speakers on relevant and topical issues, organizing educational tours and so on.  He would strike a sub-committee that would become responsible to INCA. With Vinay’s unquestionable integrity we are rest assured that the INCA Seniors Club would gel into greater heights with an excellent foundation.

Our seniors who have been successful in various fields are bound to have tremendous expertise and experiences that could be beneficial to our community. The club would create an avenue for such contributions. They will also have the opportunity to brainstorm on service oriented activities that could benefit many of our community members in need.  The challenge undertaken by the seniors to conduct these services could bring a great sense of satisfaction to them.

The forthcoming activities are
(a)  INCA Casino  involvement on   Feb 26th &  27th  2009
(b)  Multicultural Night on March 15, 2009  (c)  INCA Youth Day on March 21, 2009.        
Please note that the applications for the INCA Social Awards and the INCA Youth Awards have not been encouraging up to date. The deadline is 6.00 p.m. March 2, 2009.  Presidents of the INCA Affiliated Organizations should make a serious effort to encourage their respective youth members to apply,  as INCA  would like to take great pride in presenting more awards to the youth as they deserve this recognition.
Kindly be informed that Draupadi Karadia who was away for job related training is back at INCA as the Office and RC Coordinator w.e.f. Feb, 2009.

Thank you.
Senan Mathummal

The INCA Committee members have welcomed 2009 with greater vigor and enthusiasm to conduct series of very important activities that would mean so much to our community.

The Republic Day of India celebrations along with the presentation of certificates of volunteer appreciation will happen on Jan 24, 2009.  This is the first time INCA has embarked on presenting certificates to our dedicated volunteers.  Some of the committee members took up the task to personally call and invite the recipients. The response  was just overwhelming – perhaps they did not look forward to such a recognition.

The above will be followed by the INCA Seniors’ Club inauguration function to be held on Jan 31, 2009.  This again is a first time effort by INCA, withstanding the fact that our seniors need to come together and become part of a great fraternity and further contribute to INCA, with their valuable  experiences.  The formation of the Club was a sequel  to the Seniors’ workshop / seminar conducted by the INCA Resource Center recently.  We hope that the Club would gather greater momentum and strength as time passes by.  Those who would like to enlist in the membership are welcome to contact the coordinator of the Club Vinay Dattani – Tel: 403-280-6241 – email: vdattani@gmail.com

The INCA Casino program   will  be on Feb 26 & 27,  2009.   Those  who wish   to volunteer  should contact  the  INCA Office  at 403-277-0206 or  Senan at 403-243-0021.

On March 15, 2009 will be the  Multicultural Night jointly celebrated by INCA and SAHLA  at the Jacksinger Hall, Epcor Cenre for Performing Arts, Calgary.  The INCA Committee would leave no stone unturned to make this a great function as it epitomizes our cultural strength in a diverse society.  The INCA Social Awards 2009 ceremony will also be held during the program.  The tickets would be available soon at the INCA office at $8.00 per head.

The INCA Youth Day will be held on March 21, 2009 at the Indo-Canadian Centre with a focus on getting the youth together to celebrate their affinity with INCA.  Along with the presentation of the INCA Youth Awards 2009 the program would also feature special interesting items pertaining to youth.

Needless to mention that all the above activities would never  materialize without the total commitment and dedication of the wonderful coordinators and committee members who work so hard together, with a great sense of fraternity and good will.  They have definitely been an asset to INCA. 

The current INCA Office Coordinator Shila Bhatt will relinquish her duties w.e.f. Jan 21, 2009 due to health problems.  We at INCA express our sincere thanks to her for all the services rendered since October and wish her speedy recovery.  INCA is now in the process of getting a replacement.

Thank you.
Senan Mathummal

The INCA Council meeting was successfully conducted on Nov 29. 2008  with proactive suggestions and deliberations.

Just before the commencement of the meeting, a one minute silence was observed to offer prayers for the victims and the bereaved families of the Mumbai tragedy.  The Council also decided to send a message of grief and  heartfelt condolences to the affected victims and families through the High Commissioner of India in Ottawa.

Discussions were held on the following forthcoming activities:

    a.    INCA Seniors’ Club Inauguration Ceremony                      Jan 17, 2009

    b    Republic Day celebrations / Volunteer Appreciation            Jan 24,2009

    c.    Youth Awards Day                                                       (Mar, 2009 -  date to be confirmed)

    d.    Multicultural Night & Social Awards                                  Mar 15, 2009

The Council members present were informed of the rather disturbing trend of family violence and juvenile delinquencies within our community in Calgary.  Though the INCA Resource Centre has received a couple of requests for help there is the need for greater publicity of the Resource Centre activities and help rendered.  The members were requested to discuss  the disturbing trends within their own organizations and build awareness of the INCA Resource Centre.

It was agreed by the Council to encourage representatives from the Affiliated Organizations to serve on the Multicultural Night Sub-Committee.  Those interested are welcome to send their names to the INCA Office as soon as possible.

It was noted that representatives  of some of the Affiliated Organizations do not seem to attend the regular INCA Council Meetings.  As all the meetings are seriously conducted to improve  the activities  of INCA for the benefit of the community, it was decided that an appeal should be made to the Affiliated Presidents  to remedy this situation.  Hopefully there will be full representation in the next Council Meeting.

The Calgary Jewish Community Council will be holding a memorial service for the victims of the Mumbai tragedy at 1607 – 90 Avenue, Calgary S.W. at 7 00 p.m. on Dec 4, 2008 tel: 403-288-0048.  All are welcome for the service. I shall be attending with a message from the India Canada Association of Calgary.

Thank you.
Senan Mathummal

NEWS IN BRIEF FROM INCA OFFICE -     Vol 5 – Oct 30, 2008

The INCA Resource Centre takes great pride in having conducted an extremely successful INCA Seniors’ Workshop / Seminar  attracting 62 participants on October 25, 2008.  All the speakers were not only informative  in their own fields of expertise but were ever ready to answers questions  and oblige seminar participants with whatever clarifications  that were needed.  The credit for organizing such a successful event goes to the RC Coordinator Draupadi Karadia and Uma Thakor, INCA Vice-President cum RC Advisor for all the hard work put in.  Avinash Patel’s attempt to get participants for the workshop / seminar has been  appreciated.  Some of the committee members and volunteers are to be commended for setting up the hall and for staying back to clean up and tidy the premises without any hesitation.  Thanks to all of them.

Some speakers shared their anecdotal experiences of  sacrificial care given to their relatives, who were debilitated physically and even mentally. Needless to say that those moments were not only emotional to the speakers but also to the listeners.  But rather ironically the message was most profound as it dawned on the listeners that the strength the caregivers had  to do such sacrificial  deeds, was from the overwhelming love and compassion they had for the disabled.  This in turn made them feel positive in their outlook  towards such humanitarian deeds.  There was a great lesson imparted by the speakers to every  participant of the seminar.  All the feedback received in the evaluation exercise has been carefully  documented, for the use of the Resource Centre, to formulate an action plan  towards the welfare of our seniors.

It is gratifying to note that 40 of the participants have registered for the INCA Seniors Club 2008 – 25 men and 15 ladies. INCA will now forge ahead in organizing an inaugural function for the Seniors Club which will then generate meaningful activities  in keeping with the needs of the seniors.  This should perhaps take place just after the ensuing winter season.  A well deliberated action plan will be in place in order to conduct interesting activities ranging from the academic to social needs of the members. Ultimately the INCA Seniors Club will become an established wing of the Resource Centre.

 Vinay Dattani, a long-standing well-wisher of INCA has kindly consented to be the Coordinator of the INCA Seniors Club.  Vinay is very well known for his selfless service not only to INCA but also to the community members at large. INCA appreciates his help and we are sure that  the Seniors Club is in good hands.  He should have no difficulty in getting help,  from the registered members for various needs.

INCA has sent congratulatory messages to two of its associates Devinder Shory and Deepak Obhrai for their success in the recent federal elections.  Devinder Shory has expressed his warm feelings of having been on the INCA Committee but with a desire to relinquish his duties on the INCA Committee as from now.  However he has assured INCA of his help whenever needed. 

Thank you.
Senan Mathummal

The INCA Committee and the INCA Council Meetings held on Sept 14, 2008 respectively were productive with positive discussions and deliberations.  The Resource Centre will be holding a Seniors’ Seminar cum Workshop on October 25, 2008.  The details of this would be disseminated to our database in due course.  Prior to the Council Meeting Mr. Ashok Bhasin, former president of INCA and currently on the Board of  United Way and Area, briefed the members on  (a)  the United Way / INCA Diwali Luncheon on November 16, 2008 and  (b)  the visit of the former President of India Dr. Abdul Kalam to Calgary on July 9, 2009.

Herewith my report to the Council Members:-

In my last report on June 29, 2008 I had emphasized on the role of INCA Committee members in our service to  our community, stressing very much on the need for professionalism in volunteer services with a positive and proactive outlook.  Now I take great pride in sharing with you an important and pleasant message.  All the INCA Committee members have rallied round to discharge their duties with humility and dedication.  This attribute has not only brought about a sense of joy in doing community service but also a great sense of fraternity in all of us.  This should be a great beginning for the future of INCA , as some members had remarked ‘it’s a pleasure to work for INCA’.  As you can see on the agenda there is considerable number of activities to be accomplished with some spill over to 2009.  With the current dedicated committee members along with our commitment towards excellence we shall strive hard to make every activity memorable.  It was heartening indeed to note that in all the completed events, there was visible participation by council members. We are grateful to all of them and hope many more of you would join the fold in all the future activities.

One of our strategies at INCA has been to practice resourcefulness in conducting activities and so far we have been successful in this.  We built constraints in all expenditures and in some activities there have been profits shown.  I hope this could be continued in order to build a healthy financial balance at the end.  We shall never tolerate waste and indiscriminate spending.

As we move on with all the traditional activities, the committee would like to focus on a more salient aspect of our community welfare and that is to work for the social needs of our people.  The INCA Resource Centre is getting activated  with people who are in need of help, seeking assistance.  Draupadi the Coordinator has already established links with various organizations of specific expertise to render help when needed.  We are now planning a concerted effort to reach out perhaps many in our community who are in desperate need of help ranging from family problems, old age loneliness, physical and psychological problems along with juvenile delinquency and uncontrollable wayward youths and so on.  Towards  this ennobling goal the INCA Committee would like to enlist the help of all Council Members to spread the info on the existence of this facility at INCA to the respective members of your organizations, though we would be embarking on other ways of publicizing as per our action plan.
Let me conclude by making an appeal.  As we have built a strong fraternity at the INCA committee level let us aspire to do the same at the council level so that each and everyone of us would become proud of this great organization “INCA”

Thank you                                                                                                       
Senan Mathummal    
 

The friendly India Pakistan cricket match played by the INCA and PCFS players to celebrate the independence day of India and Pakistan on Aug 16, 2008 at the Riley Park was a glorifying success.   It reflected the hard work and cooperation of the combined organizing committee members who put in relentless effort for the past several months  towards the ‘mela’ event.  I applaud them for upholding genuine friendship and understanding  at every level of the procedure. The  spectators who numbered much more than last year were just engrossed with fun and frolic contributing to a festive mood.  People were also milling around the various stalls getting a feel of the various items sold. 

INCA is proud  of  our players who played hard to win the game.  Three cheers to them.  Apart from winning,  their display of sportsmanship was most commendable as both the team players got together  at the end of the game, to congratulate each other for a game well played.  The INCA team captain Narinder Sidhu  wrapped himself with the Indian National flag with pride and respect and when the time came for him to return the flag he most graciously  folded it  kissed it and handed  it over to me.  I thought that was really touching – a great way to celebrate India’s independence day.    INCA will be holding a special celebration for the players soon.

A big thank you to Surindra Bhandari and Surinder Rehill for working so hard for this function from the INCA side and for getting tremendous support from various sponsors  who were extremely liberal with their contributions.  Jaymal Ruparell  who had donated the trophy was at hand to officiate the presentation with a special donation of $300.00 for the winning team to enjoy themselves.     Thank you to  our committee members and volunteers who put in a lot of effort in various areas sweating it out the whole day in the sweltering heat.

The Global Fest is in full swing attracting   lots of people with a better lagoon side ambiance than last year. The stalls at the India pavilion are doing extremely well with better prospects  for henna and Indian food. Thanks to Rekha, our dedicated committee members and volunteers for all the services.  Rekha made special effort to get decorations for the pavilion all the way from Adrie.  The Global Fest organizing committee has to be commended for making great improvements in various areas to make it a worthwhile event for the young and the old. Please contact Rekha Bhatt if you need further info – 244-3506

Uma Thakor is committed and ready with all preparations for the 24th – independence day celebrations.  Uma will be at the mike sharp at 3.00 p.m. to welcome the guest of honor. So let us all be punctual. We have received rsvp from 120 people that is considered as a comfortable number. See you all on Sunday.

Thank you and warm regards
Senan Mathummal
 

As INCA basks in the glory of having conducted an excellent Stampede Breakfast program with the dedicated help of Nirupama and a core group of volunteers, we have hardly anytime to rest on our laurels.  Three major activities will be happening just within this month.

On August 16, 2008 the well publicized India Pakistan  Friendly Cricket Match will be held at the Riley Park, Calgary.  Surendra Bhandari and Surinder Rehill from the INCA side on the Combined Organizing Committee have been relentlessly working  hard to make this event exceptional. It is also gratifying to note that their hard work with commitment has paid  off by  the overwhelming support from sponsors. Now the challenge for INCA is to get the support of all the Council Members and Affiliated Presidents to be present at the venue with  relatives  and friends  to cheer our team on that day. So please make it a point to join the function as it is ennobling to support sportsmanship. Kindly refer to the attachment of my message to be printed in the program booklet for Aug 16, 2008.

The Global Fest preparations are almost complete under the stewardship of Rekha Bhatt the coordinator.  She has worked hard to streamline all the details and to get the support of volunteers who have been staggered for help all through the function from Aug 15, 2008 to Aug 23, 2008.  Volunteers will be provided with free entry passes and food coupons.  Please refer to the poster forwarded to all of you.  Tickets at $7.50 per head are still available with Rekha (tel: 244-3506) and Draupadi (tel: 277-0206).  Every attempt has been made to make the India Pavilion most  attractive and    interesting.

All of you must have received the invite for India’s Independence Day celebrations on Aug 24, 2008 at the Indo-Canadian Centre.    Uma Thakor the coordinator will help to make this event a resounding success. As agreed upon during the INCA Council and Committee meetings it was decided to inaugurate the INCA flag and motto during the celebrations. A design competition was held and the Selection Committee finally picked a design in keeping with the aspirations of the association and futuristic appeal.  All of you will agree with me that we are all duty bound to attend this rather  formal function  as it is an occasion for us to pay homage and respect to our forefathers who had borne tremendous hardship and sufferings to free a great nation from imperial bondage. Kindly make sure to send the rsvp to INCA as we need to organize the seating arrangements.

The INCA Resource Centre has become active with help sought after  by community members for various needs from immigrant requirements to family problems. Draupadi Karadia the coordinator has built effective communicative links with various service agencies which are always available for the needed services.  When  required she also seeks the assistance of affiliated presidents for special needs. Please do not hesitate to contact  her in case of any need related to Resource Centre assistance  esp. with her specially  allocated time for RC work from 3.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. 
As  we are busy this month with all the activities enumerated above,  the Council Meeting scheduled for Aug 31, 2008 has been shelved to a later date in September.  Announcement will be made when the date is finalized.

Thank you and warm regards.
Senan Mathummal

The INCA AGM and Elections were successfully held on April 27, 2008. The overwhelming attendance and support of the Council Members are being much  appreciated along with the services rendered by Vinay Dattani, Kal Mahadev and Pratab Varshney on the Elections Committee.  

Subsequently the 1st INCA Committee Meeting for the new term was held on May 14, 2008.  In this meeting the outgoing president Synu John handed over the responsibilities to the new committee most graciously.  Along with thanking all the members who worked hard on the outgoing committee she also gave valuable and encouraging advise to the members of the new committee. This was followed by special tribute to Synu and the past committee  members by Senan for their dedication and commitment in all the activities undertaken for the welfare of our community   

The smooth, elegant and gracious transfer from one committee to the other is to be considered most dignified and respectable.  This should be the trend for the future of INCA  especially  in all  interpersonal relationships.  

 During the meeting Senan emphasized on the need for team spirit  in order  to enjoy community service.  Team spirit will definitely diminish egotism and all the unwanted complaints.  Instead, constructive suggestions should be entertained.  Meetings shall always be proactive and action-oriented  avoiding  irrelevant discussions and unnecessary digressions. If any one  of the committee member becomes unhappy it shall be the concern for all the others.

A resolution was made and seconded in the meeting to forward the remaining $30,000/- in the Tsunami Funds towards the Tsunami Relief Work currently undertaken, the China and Burma disasters  at $10,000/- per cause.  The resolution was unanimously accepted and the funds will be channeled through the Red Cross.

It will be the profound responsibility of the INCA Committee to uphold and improve the image of the organization in keeping with the ever increasing profile of our community in Calgary.  The Committee will discharge its duties with professionalism and respect.

The INCA Office Bearers for 2008 / 2009 are as follows:

President:             Senan Mathummal

Vice Presidents:     Surinder Rehill

                           Uma Thakor

Secretary:             Nirupama Nagarajappa

Treasurer:             Shrutika Singh

Past President       Sara (Synu) John

Co-opted Members:

Surendra Bhandari  Sudha Menon

Rekha Bhatt           Davinder Shory

Krishna Golmurti      Mangala Joshi

Biren Das Biswas      Avinash Patel

Along with all the activities of the previous term an additional activity  for this term will be the Youth Day with the express need for youth participation at the INCA level.  The initial stage for this will be the formation of a youth sub-committee in order to build the youth membership from all the affiliated organizations. This will give scope for greater interaction among the youth members from all the ethnic organizations. With the help of the affiliated presidents INCA will do its best to make the Youth Group not only a pride for INCA but for our community. The thematic emphasis for all activities undertaken will be ‘towards excellence’.

Sunitha George who was the office and resource center coordinator  has decided to discontinue her services due to health reasons and time constraints to pursue her career interests.  Fortunately we have got Draupadi Karadia to cover the duties.

The immediate task for INCA will be to organize the Stampede Breakfast to be held on July 6, 2008 at the INCA Hall.  With the help of  Nirupama Nagarajappa as the Coordinator this event will be a family oriented function  with activities for the children as well.  After this INCA will be busy with the Global Fest celebrations which will take place in August.  Along with excellent performances on stage there will be North and South Indian cuisine on site. Arrangements are in progress for the sale of handicrafts and special demonstrations to show how a saree or turban is tied.  All  details will be announced in due course by the Coordinator  Rekha Bhatt.

Sithun John has kindly consented to continue to be in charge of the INCA website. He will soon be updating all information.

The schedule for INCA Council Meetings to be held at the INCA Hall for 2008 from 3.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. will be as follows:  Announcements will be made if there are any changes.

April 27, 2008        June 29, 2008        August 31, 2008        Oct 26, 2008  

In conclusion,  on behalf of the INCA Committee may I make an appeal to all past presidents, affiliated presidents and council members.  Please make an attempt to attend all the functions organized by the committee members and volunteers who put in a lot of hard work to make every event successful.  Your cooperation and volunteer services  will be very much appreciated.  Thank you.  Senan Mathummal.