US: Preparations in full swing for Ram Mandir float in NYC's India Day parade

By Reena Bhardwaj
New York [US], August 18 : A float in Sunday's upcoming India Day Parade in New York City that celebrates the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is getting its final touches to be featured in the carnival.
Even though the float has sparked controversy, with several groups calling it anti-Muslim and saying it should be removed from the event, members of the Indian diaspora and the Hindu community in New York are participating in huge numbers to be a part of this celebration.
The float, made of wood, largely depicts the Ram Mandir -- a grand pink sandstone temple built for Lord Ram in the city of Ayodhya. The 18-foot long, nine-foot wide and eight-foot in height float has largely been carved out in India and has been shipped by air cargo to participate in the parade.
Just hours before the parade, the Federation of Indian Associations -- the group that is organising the event spoke exclusively to ANI and said that the float celebrates the inauguration of a landmark significant to Hindus. Ankur Vaidya Chairman of FIA-NYNJCT&NE said the parade represents the country's diversity and will feature floats from various communities in India.
"It is a proud moment to be gathering here with members of our community. I have been volunteering here since 2008 and this year is special. It's because we're displaying a replica of the Ram Temple to march down Madison Avenue instilling the values of harmony and peace for all. We Hindus pray that all problems disappear by Lord Ram. This is a march for goodwill and peace for all," Vaidya said.
Vaidya added that the preparations for the march were in full swing.
"The New York Police Department and the Mayor have supported us in terms of the parade for the last 20 years. Avinash Gupta, the President of the FIA, the media, sponsors and participants have been a strong pillar of support in terms of what we have endured for something as innocent as trying to display a miniature version of our faith very peacefully and as law-abiding citizens. This is the 42nd parade in New York City, and is the oldest and the largest India Day parade in the US," he said.
Vaidya urged all participants to be calm, peaceful and happy. "I urge all participants to be calm, peaceful and happy, positive and abide by all laws of New York City. Let's have a great parade and make our community, homeland of the US and motherland India proud," he said.
The India Day parade in NYC has been taking place every year for over four decades, to mark the celebration of India's independence. The four-decade-old annual celebration in NYC will celebrate the 42nd Annual India Day Parade on the busy streets of New York.
Saurin Parikha Executive Vice President of FIA-NYNJCT&NE said that the preparations for the event are underway.
"We are celebrating India's independence in the heart of New York City at Madison Avenue. We will have a huge range of activities, preparations for which are going on in full swing. Barricades have been placed and roads have been cleared. We will have many floats and marching groups. Indians in New York are realizing their dream of celebrating the big day for India while being here in New York. Indians will showcase their diversity in the US," Parikha said.
ANI spoke with several Indian Americans following different faiths about the situation and some condemned the false narrative being floated on social media.
In a statement on August 14, the Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-CT-NE said, "We find ourselves under heavy scrutiny for organizing a peaceful community celebration that our dedicated volunteers have worked tirelessly to prepare. This malicious and hate-filled scrutiny, spread on social media, has resulted in the loss of sponsorships--the lifeblood of our event--and in fear-mongering, causing law-abiding citizens to worry about potential unruly conduct due to the hateful messages circulating online."
"Our inclusion of a float that celebrates the inauguration of a sacred landmark, significant to hundreds of millions of Hindus has been insulted by derogatory name calling and the officials and the mainstream is radio silent. I respectfully ask, would such name-calling be tolerated if directed at any other community's place of worship? The answer is unequivocally no," the statement further said.
The Ram Lalla idol was unveiled at the Pran Pratishtha ceremony after the hour-long rituals in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who led the ceremony on January 22 in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya.