By Prem Calvin Preshad
The Richmond Hill-based community organization Indo-Caribbean Alliance held its second annual fund-raising gala June 7at the Venetian Terrace on 114th Street.
The event honored individuals and organizations that have made a significant contribution to the Indo-Caribbean community in Queens.
The theme for the event was “An Empire State of Mind,” and vocalist Ashton Ramdehal did a rendition of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind.”
Notable attendees included Nisha Agarwal, commissioner of immigrant affairs. In addition, champion boxer Elton Dharry, the reigning Miss Guyana World and world-famous vocalist Terry Gajraj made special appearances.
City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) and U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) sent citations for the honorees.
“As the largest South Asian group in NYC, and with Guyanese as the second largest foreign-born group in Queens, we’re increasingly influencing the political, economic and social culture of this great city,” said Richard David, ICA executive director.
The Queens Village-based Natraj Center for the Performing Arts was honored for 25 years of providing a space for the expression of Indian dance, drama and music. Members of the center performed a dance at the event in honor of their co-founder and honoree, Barbara Lemoine.
“Aunty” Barbara currently serves as director of the Natraj Center, which holds regular classes in Indian dance.
“Our honorees represent the accomplishments and impact the Indo-Caribbean community has made here in New York,” David said.
Honoree Gaiutra Bahadur received the inaugural Icon Award for authoring the acclaimed “Coolie Woman: The Odyssey of Indenture,” a book that melds research and narratives of Indo-Caribbean women, including the author’s great-grandmother, as they journeyed from Calcutta to the Caribbean.
The book has received international recognition, including the Orwell Prize, Britain’s highest award for political writing.
The Business Leadership Award was awarded to brothers George Subraj, Ken Subraj and Jay Sobhraj, of Zara Realty Corp. Ken Subraj, senior vice president of Zara, accepted the award on before of the collective honorees.
“Clean, Safe, Comfortable and Affordable” has been the motto of Zara Realty Corp. since its founding by George Subraj in the 1980s, and since then the group has expanded to over 30 apartment complexes in the city. The brothers are known for their charitable contributions in both Guyana and in New York, most notably in 2008 when they sponsored a team of doctors from Walter Reed Army Medical Center to perform the first kidney transplant in Guyana.
“These are exciting times for our community. Our gala is a fund-raising event to support ICA in its programs, services and advocacy to meet the needs of this growing population,” David concluded.
