NRIs in Australia kick off Independence Day celebrations

Melbourne, Aug 6 (UNI) Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) settled in Australia kicked off the 59th Independence Day celebrations by organising the India Australia Friendship Fair 2006 in Sydney and by holding an annual sports meet here today.

The India Australia Friendship Fair, known simply as India Fair earlier, played host to a number of cultural events to ''showcase Indian Cultural Heritage with a special emphasis on classical and folk dances and music from different regions of India''.

This year's celebrations at Sydney's Olympic Park included all-day activities like cultural programs, camel rides, fireworks, among others, according to a release issued by the Sydney-based organisers United Indian Associations (UIA).

Over 100 organisations participated in this year's India Fair.

The list included various Australian government and non-government organisations and also South Asian business houses. They organised various stalls at the Fair.

''The money raised out of the event will be used for different Community Projects and establishing a Community Centre,'', according to a UIA release.

The Melbourne sports event attracted scores of Indo-Australians, but the India Australia Friendship Fair, organised at Athletic Centre, Sydney Olympic Park, was undoubtedly the largest Indian cultural event down under.

According to the organisers' estimates, around 20,000 visitors went past the huge Olympic Park turnstiles today.

While the Sydney event was attended by thousands, Winter Sports Tournament 2006 organised by Federation of Indian Associations of Victoria (FIAV) here, also managed to attract a sizeable number of members of various Indian associations.

The Victorian umbrella body would host a function on 19th August in this regard. The Indo-Australians living in Victoria would also hold Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) award ceremony for academic excellence on this occasion.

UNI XC KD HT1720