A new south Asian organisation, the Australia South Asia Society Inc. (ASAS) has been launched in Melbourne with the aim to serve the many South Asian communities in Victoria and Australia.
At its launch recently here at the Waverley RSL, Glen Waverley, Neeraj Nanda, Editor of South Asia Times (SAT) and President of the ASAS, described the advocacy of social, economic, cultural and political issues of the South Asian communities with the state governments and the Federal Government as being its primary objective.
Addressing the audience attended by many community leaders, Nanda detailed the main objective of the new organisation as one that hopes to unite the South Asian communities from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan.
“I call upon the South Asian people in Victoria and Australia to join the ASAS and make it a strong platform for community enhancement and raising issues of support and concern before the government,” Nanda said.
Dr Bandu Dissanavake, patron, who launched the organisation expressed his optimism that ASAS would serve well the many South Asian communities in Victoria and Australia.
The event began with the symbolic lighting of the tradition lamp to dispel darkness by Kapila Fonseka, Sri Lanka’s Consul to Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, Vasan Srinivasan, Member Australian Multicultural Council and the Chairperson of the Mental Health Foundation Australia, Murugapoopathy, Patron AIBC-Victoria and Liberal leader, Dissanayake, who is also ex Consul Sri Lanka in Melbourne and owner of Pahana media group and Nanda.
A video message from La Trobe Federal Member and Assistant Minister for Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs Jason Wood was also the other highlight.
The gathering at the ASAS launch consisted of people from Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Fiji.
The ASAS launch was followed by the ‘Noel Nadesan Books Launch’ presided by Prof Kaushal Srivastava and conducted by Nithi Nithiayanathan. Four books were released. The event was sponsored by the ASAS.
The ASAS has also decided to support the UNICEF’s India COVID-19 Crisis Appeal. It calls upon the community to donate generously. At the same time, the organisation is urging the Australian government to get back the 30,000 Australians including 9,000 Indians back home along with setting up a fool proof quarantine system. A hefty fine and jail term, for anyone coming from India is no solution and inhuman, it added.
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A new south Asian organisation, the Australia South Asia Society Inc. (ASAS) has been launched in Melbourne with the aim to serve the many South Asian communities in Victoria and Australia. #TheIndianSunhttps://t.co/4ForJ1qYVJ
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