Gujarati Business Association will celebrate this day for the first time

The Gujarati Business Association (GBA), with 675 members, has taken the initiative to celebrate Gujarat Day for the first time in Canada this year. Apart from being a major occasion for networking, it will also highlight to the non-resident Gujaratis (NRGs) settled in Canada to get an update on how Gujarat has progressed on various fronts.

"While Gujaratis are the second biggest Indian community, after Punjabis, in Canada, there has been no major event to bring them together on one platform. Through the Gujarat Day celebration, which will be made an annual event, we hope to make this the biggest event for the community in this country," said Mukund Purohit, president of the GBA during his visit to Ahmedabad recently.

As against an estimated 4-5 lakh Punjabis, there are around 2 lakh Gujaratis in Canada and nearly half of the NRGs are based in Toronto. On Gujarat Day, the GBA will showcase the progress made by the state in both economic and social front along with entrepreneurship and spirit of Gujaratis. The association is also planning to give away four awards on this day. One award will be for a Gujarati from any part of the world who has excelled in a particular field. The other three awards will be for Gujaratis settled in Canada - one in the student category, another for social work and one more for a woman achiever.

"GBA has decided to celebrate 'Gujarat Day' in Canada to commemorate formation of Gujarat. However, the celebrations will not take place on the foundation day of Gujarat due to some limitations, but it will be held on the nearest date possible. This is the first time that Gujarat Day celebrations are planned in Canada and we will make it an annual feature," said Purohit. Purohit has played a pivotal role in bringing Canadian government delegations to Gujarat recently. Now, he plans to bring another Canadian delegation in April, when a new Canadian trade office will be opened in Ahmedabad. The idea behind the celebration is to create awareness among the Canadian people about Gujarat's significant achievements in the recent times. "Gujarat has made good progress on various fronts such as economy, education, research and development and other related areas and a campaign to publicise such achievements in Canada is required for enhancing trade relations between both the regions. Apart from that, the event will pr
ovide a platform to develop linkages within the Gujarati diaspora," he added. Purohit, had organised the first video conference-based interaction between the Gujarati community in Canada and the state's chief minister Narendra Modi in 2008. During the Gujarat Day programme short films on different aspects of Gujarat will be shown alongwith different cultural programmes.

At present, GBA has around 675 members. It works for the enhancement of relations within Gujarati community living in Canada and organises regular get-togethers. It also helps newcomers from Gujarat in launching their businesses.

Sachin kumar/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication