Call for Participation - Diwali Festival 2007

Diwali Festival and Dandiya will be held at Nashua High School North on Saturday October 27, 2007. View Flyer for more information.
For this event we invite participation from IANH members both adults and children. In a sincere effort to provide 'Quality' items and maximize participation, we request the members to strictly adhere to the following:-

1. Participants have to be 5 or older.
2. Each item cannot exceed 7 minutes.
3. Only one item per participant
4. Only group items with 4 or more participants will be accepted.( to maximize participation)
5. Please send in details about the program with the name of the item, short description (about the dance/music), approximate duration, teacher/choreographer's name & telephone number, participants' names and their ages. Please send all the information about the program before the cut off date of October 1, 2007. Unfortunately, no request will be entertained after October 1st.
6. This event is free for IANH members who are participating in the cultural program. Please renew your membership if you have not already done so. Please contact Vandana at (603) 668 0828.
7. All entries will be selected on a first come first serve basis and the decision of the Cultural committee is final.

Participants' parents are encouraged to volunteer to help with the event planning and execution.
Thanks for your kind co-operation.
Usha Dwaraknath, Cultural Secretary, IANH

Sponsorship Opportunities at the 2007 IANH Diwali Festival

Diwali is the biggest event of the year for the Association with over 600 people attending in 2007.We have a few sponsorships available. As a sponsor, you will be recognized at the festival through poster display and stage announcements. and publish a message from you in the function guide. You will also receive four free tickets to the festival. If you would like to sponsor any of the following, please contact Dr. Tej Dhakar as soon as possible:
1. General Sponsor (up to ten) $100
2. Diwali Function Guide (one) $200
3. Cultural Program (one) $500
4. Grand Sponsor (one) $1000

IANH to hold its First Ever Immigration Clinic
We will be conducting its first-ever immigration clinic on Sunday October 7, 2007 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Nashua Public Library. This free clinic will be conducted by Immigration Attorney Ambassador George Bruno. He will discuss the recent changes in the immigration rules and answer your questions on US immigration including H-1, Green Card, sponsoring relatives and citizenship. This clinic will not address any issues related to visas or consular services for visiting India and other countries.

To help us provide the best possible to answers to your questions, please send your questions in advance to Dr. Tej Dhakar at secretary@ianh.org. For more information about the clinic, please contact Tony Epaphras at tepaphras@snhs.org or Dr. Tej Dhakar View flyer for more information.

Looking for your inputs on Community Issues

The 2008 NH Primary is fast approaching. Some of us who are registered to vote will soon be electing the leader of the free world. It is important for the candidates seeking public office not to ignore the issues that are important to our community.

IANH sends questionnaire to candidates seeking various offices containing issues in various segments of our community. Once these issues are defined, we can identify action items to raise the awareness of our politicians and others and create a focus on them. IANH and American Forum for Political Education (IAFPE) will be working on consolidating community issues at national and local levels. We request you to submit a brief description of issues you think are important for us to address. Please submit them via Email to Tej Dhakar.

Prithvi Kumar, President IANH

Executive Committee Appointments

The meeting of the IANH Executive Committee was held on Sunday September 16, 2007. The committee members discussed appointment to fill in various open positions. The members of the Executive committee appointed Prithvi Kumar to be the interim chair of Education Committee. Effective immediately, Prithvi will assume Education committee responsibilities including the 2008 NH Education Bee Regional Coordinator. Prithvi will replace Thilak Radakrishnan who resigned her position on September 15, 2007. Prithvi’s term as the Education Committee Chair will expire on 31 May 2008. On behalf of the members of the Executive Committee I wish to express my sincere thanks to Thilak for her contributions to the Education Bee and workshop.

The members of the Executive Committee appointed Puneetha Palakruthi to the Executive Committee. Puneetha will work with Prithvi on the Education Committee.

Dr. Tej Dhakar, Secretary

Contributions Invited to Samaj Patra

The fall edition of Samaj Patra would be published towards the end of September 2007. This edition is timed for distribution to IANH members prior to the IANH Diwali Festival on October 27, 2007. Samaj Patra, the official newsletter of the IANH is published four times a year and each issue is mailed to over 300 member families. We are inviting your contributions to the fall edition of the Samaj Patra in any of the following categories. Please email your contributions to the Associate Editor Manish Manchanda at Manish_ianh@yahoo.com with a copy to the Editor Dr. Tej Dhakar at dhakar@comcast.net by Sunday September 23, 2007. Your contribution will be published depending on space availability.

• Member News (prizes, awards, scholarships, graduations, promotions, accomplishments, child births, weddings, family events, etc.). A small picture is welcome along with the news item.
• Members Corner (stories, poems, articles, etc. written by the members). A passport size picture of the member is welcome with the contribution.
• Immigration Corner (questions on US immigration including green card, citizenship, sponsoring relatives, etc.)
• Letters to the Editor (suggestions, ideas, opinions, feedback, etc.)
• Contributed Items (interesting information from other sources). Note: Contributed Items will be published if space is available.

Advertisement Opportunities in Samaj Patra
A limited number of advertisements are available in the upcoming fall edition of Samaj Patra. If you would like to advertise in the Samaj Patra, please email your advertisement to Dr. Tej Dhakar, Secretary IANH by Sunday September 23, 2007. The current advertisement rates are given below:

• Business card (height 2" x width 3"): $25 per issue, $80 for four issues.
• Quarter Page Ad (height 4" x width 3"): $40 per issue, $128 for four issues
• Half Page Ad (height 4"x width 7"): $70 per issue, $224 for four issues
• Full Page Ad (9"x7" or 7"x 9"): $120 per issue, $384 for four issues
• Classified Ad (30 words): $10 per issue, $32 for four issues

Lunch Service at Nashua Soup Kitchen on September 16, 2007.

Volunteers from IANH prepared and served lunch to over 70 guests. The event was sponsored by Sangeetha Palaurthi. Pulav was donated by Gurnam Singh. View event details and picture gallery. Please contact Barinder if you would like to volunteer or participate in the future events.

IANH Calendar:

• Sunday October 7, Free Immigration clinic at Nashua Public library View Flyer
• October 27 IANH Diwali Festival at Nashua High School North View Flyer
• Sunday October 21, Lunch Service Nashua Soup Kitchen
• Sunday December 16, Lunch Service Nashua Soup Kitchen

Community Events/Announcements  

Chinmaya Mission Bal Vihar classes at Nashua start September 2007. View Flyer

September 21 - 23, 2007 NewMarket Heritage festival will celebrate the heritage of a small New England Town. There will be dances, entertainment featuring several ethnic groups. Visit website for more information.

September 21 - 23, 2007. Kanchi Kamakoti Seva Foundation USA will conduct Maha Rudram Yagnam at Swami Narayan Temple. View Flyer for more information.

Saturday September 29, 2007 Walk for Non Violence against Women by Saheli. In celebration of Domestic Violence awareness month in October and Mahatma Gandhi's birthday celebrations, Saheli, Friendship for South Asian Women has organized a 5K Walk/Run for Non Violence. The walk starts at Burlington High School, 123 Cambridge St. Burlington, MA 01803. Registration begins at 9:00am and the walk continues till 12 noon. Registration is $10, seniors and children are free. View Flyer for more information.

Friday October 19, 2007 Conference conducted by Saheli, Support for South Asian Women and domestic violence Services of Central Middlesex Inc. View Flyer . A Forum to build new community ties: Bridging the Cultural gap to provide effective domestic violence services to the Asian immigrant community.

Saturday, November 10, 2007 Boston Bhangra will be conducting its annual Bhangra competition at the Orpheus Theater in Boston. Visit their website for more information.

Sunday, November 11, 2007. Academy of Indian Performing Arts is proud to present the one and only Anita Ratnam in her solo dance theater "Neelam" . View Flyer