Fun, frolic, and feast best describe the Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust’s (BSCT) Christmas and End of Year party in Auckland.
The event took place on Saturday (December 10) at Mt Roskill War Memorial Hall. It was attended by around 250 people, including senior members of the community, members of parliament, community leaders, supporters and executive committee members of Bhartiya Samaj.
The event also saw the presence of dignitaries such as Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities Priyanca Radhakrishnan; Minister of Transport, Immigration, and Workplace Relations and Safety Michael Wood; Ethnic Responsiveness Manager for Metro Auckland for NZ Police Jessica Phuang, Puketapapa Local Board chairperson Ella Kumar and Bhartiya Samaj’s patron Dr Bruce Hucker among many others.
For the uninitiated, BSCT has been organising the Christmas and end of the year for decades, and it is one of the most awaited events for BSCT.
The fun-filled afternoon saw the guests, primarily seniors, thronging the venue, visibly excited and dressed in ethnic outfits to be a part of this special event.
The celebrations saw encouraging speeches by dignitaries and guests at the event as well as power packed dance performance by the Khottey Sikkey dance group, followed by live music and dance with the members.
There was also a musical performance by Gopal Bhatia and other singers which everyone loved.
Sharing pictures of the event on her social media account, Phuang wrote on her social media said, “The man that led this successful event was our brother, Jeet Suchdev and his team at Bharatiya Samaj Charitable Trust. As I walked into the hall, I was greeted with continuous hugs and kisses from the senior citizens. I can't ask for more. Merry Christmas to you all.”
Ella also shared her excitement about being part of the event and said, “It was great to be part of this event that celebrated and recognised Bhartiya Samaj’s awesome volunteers. It was very well organised, and it was great to see the happy faces of our seniors."
BSCT Chairman Jeet Suchdev said, “ It is always a great feeling to see our seniors enthusiastically enjoying themselves and having a wonderful time at this celebration. Much like every Indian festival, Christmas is also very special for our seniors, and they rejoice, dance, and celebrate the last big festival of the year. There is nothing like watching them enjoying, celebrating, and dancing.”
Mr Suchdev added, “I would like to thank the executive committee of Bhartiya Samaj, volunteers, organisers, performers and the community that made this event a grand success. We endeavour to keep doing such an event even on a bigger and grander scale next year and continue our efforts to engage our senior members socially. I thank one and all for being a part of our Bhartiya Samaj family in New Zealand.”