New York [US], November 18 (ANI): The senior citizens of Indian heritage celebrated Diwali at the 16th Annual Diwali Gala organised by the BRUHUD New York Seniors on Sunday.

Many seniors of the Indian Community came together at the Gala for a belated Diwali bash. The event witnessed an impressive turnout of over 700 attendees, including the Chief Guest, Prem Bhandari, a prominent voice of the Indian diaspora and Chairman of Jaipur Foot USA.

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Dr Rekha Bhandari, triple board-certified Internal medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative, said that the challenges facing the population of Indian immigrants are somewhat unique.

"The biggest epidemic among seniors is loneliness," she said. "And their problems are different from the average American because of language issues and racial issues."

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Chief Guest Prem Bhandari, in his address, announced that two Jaipur Foot camps will be held in Gujarat in the last week of January 2025. One camp will occur at Mahudi Jain Teerth near Ahmedabad, and the other in Dang for the tribal community. Both camps are sponsored by BRUHUD President Ajay Patel in memory of his late father, Shashikant Bhai Patel, who founded BRUHUD in 2009 in New York.

Bhandari also shared updates from Jaipur Foot Founder Padma Bhushan DR Mehta. He said that a Jaipur Foot camp is currently underway at the Somnath Temple in Gujarat, where 300 differently-abled individuals have already been fitted with the prosthetic. By the time the camp concludes on November 23, 2024, another 300 people are expected to benefit.

He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his initiatives to support the Jaipur Foot movement.

Bhandari highlighted the "India for Humanity" campaign, under which the Jaipur Foot USA's parent organization, BMVSS, successfully conducted 30 international Jaipur Foot camps across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, fully sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India. And 31 at an international camp going on in the capital of Madagascar country in East Africa.

Furthermore, Bhandari said that the parent organisation is all set for a permanent Jaipur Foot centre in Malawi, a first of its kind, as recently declared during the Indian President's visit to the country.

BRUHUD President Ajay Patel extended a warm welcome to the guests. During the gala, Pragya Singh, Consul (Community Affairs) from the New York consulate, accepted a plaque on behalf of Varun Jeph, Deputy Consul General of India in New York, who was honoured for his outstanding and distinguished service to the Indian diaspora across the 10 states under the New York Consulate's jurisdiction.

Mohan Nannapaneni, Founder of Team Aid, was also recognized for his exemplary service to the community, particularly for facilitating the repatriation of mortal remains from any part of the US to any part of India.

BRUHUD is a nonprofit organisation based in New York that holds events for its seniors focusing on health or other issues relevant to its senior population. (ANI)

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