By Rajashree Ghosh, Guest Columnist

April 15 2013 – how I looked forward to the day on April 14 2013! It was going to be Marathon Monday and my plans were to sit back at home, relax and enjoy the day as it unfolded.

And you know what? It was also the Bengali New Year. Bengalis – are those who belong to the state of West Bengal in India and even those from Bangladesh. Called “Poila Baisakh” or the first day of the month of Baisakh is celebrated with family, sharing the bounties of harvest, making delicacies to welcome the New Year and seeking blessings from those older.

As immigrants we tend to latch onto festivals that can be celebrated abroad where we live without much effort. Some festivals require complicated rituals which unless you gather resources and material, it is hard to pull it off. But Poila Baisakh is always simple and picking up the phone to call or answer calls and wish is the easiest thing to do. It is such a folksy day (unlike other stern, ritualistic festivals) that welcomes all and it is the inclusive nature of the day that makes me happy and I look forward to it every year. It gives me a chance to carry forward some of my traditions and I surprise myself sometimes at the food I whip up like my mother did. As a child watching her cook and helping her around in the kitchen has paid off although at the time of, it was a chore!

In the news early morning I read that US Secretary of State John Kerry sent his Poila Baisakh wishes to the Bengali speaking people across the world. “On behalf of President Obama, I convey my warm greetings to all Bengali speaking people around the world as you celebrate Poila Baisakh. The American people wish you all happiness and prosperity in the New Year,” he said in a statement. Those words made me feel like it was going to be a beautiful day. Some days are just like that.

As I finished my calls to India by late noon, wishing friends and family I was wondering what would be on our festive dinner menu. It must have been around 3 pm that I switched on the news and all channels on TV had a rider at the bottom of the screen saying “breaking news.” What was so urgent that they had to stop regular programming? Maybe the Marathon runners were being felicitated, I thought. I waited for the sound to come on and that is when I realized how ominous the day had turned into.

I looked aghast at the at the plume of smoke and fire as the “explosions” came on, people running injured and crying, the shock on their faces writ large and the police, EMTs scattered on the screen. It took me back to 9/11 and the subsequent fear, shock and devastation. Why? And why Boston? People from all over the world were participating – what a way to target innocent people! Time stood still and all the festive spirit with which the day started for me had completely diminished.

Again calls poured in from India and rest of the country asking if we were safe – and everyone asked about the eight year old Martin who lost his life and his mother and sister have serious injuries. What has the world come to? Who are the people who thrive on killing a child? And innocent by standers supporting and cheering on the runners – what was their fault? In the years that I have spent in and around Boston and made it my home I have never seen anything as violent, despicable and alarming as this. May be DC because it is the political hot seat, maybe New York because of its financial status but never Boston. I made calls to people I know who work and live around Boston and was relieved to learn they were safe but for some it was quite close. Either they walked down Boylston Street minutes before the explosion or they were stopped by the police much before they reached the finish line.

My day changed. If the New Year begins on such a violent note, what is the rest of the year going to be like? I shudder as I keep my eyes peeled on the news updates. Stories of brave men and women helping those injured pour in. Yes we are in mourning – we have lost people – lives and their being. We have lost a way of living and trusting.

What I am sometimes uncertain about is how as a regular law abiding, hard working immigrant am I supposed to mourn? Is there a template that I could follow so I am recognized as a viable mourner? Am I allowed to be part of a shared sense of loss? I see my colleagues share their experiences as Marathon runners, bystanders and just regular people and then write about how “American” it is to help each other in times of distress. At one go, I am shut off from what is going on.

Did I hear that the devices used were packaged in a pressure cooker? It is as common as an oven or a microwave for an American as a pressure cooker is for many cultures and cooking. It even forms part of wedding trousseau because the cookers are sturdy and last a life time just like silverware and dishes in this country.

At this point I am angry that something so cultural has been usurped for a heinous crime. And I want to reclaim that and much, much more. At the time of writing this piece, no one had been found responsible or at least reported. I hope they do find out and soon because we are hurting and need closure.

Understandably, loss is private, personal but when there is breakdown of the normal, let us recognize that bereavement is across family, community, national boundaries and an essential step in rebuilding our lives.

Rajashree Ghosh is a resident scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University in Waltham.

By Rajashree Ghosh, Guest Columnist

As many of my friends and colleagues are celebrating Passover and Easter, I am winding up my celebration of Holi. Depending on the Hindu calendar, this occurs around February of March each year and just the thought of it makes me think of bursts of “gulal” or perfumed colors, food and community.

Several stories accompany this festival and you are free to choose whichever feels comfortable. As far as I am concerned, the more stories there are, the greater the relevance to common life and living. Spring season with the ending of the winter crop in itself calls for celebration in some parts of India and in other parts the harvest comes a month later.

Nevertheless Holi does count as one of those festivals that celebrate the transition of one season to another.

Legend has it that a demon who was granted several wishes including life, created havoc in the human world. He was deemed invincible – he could not be killed by man or animal, at home or outside, neither during the day or at night. He spared no one including his son who was a believer and worshipped the Gods the demon vowed to eliminate. He tried to kill his son several ways – trample him under an elephant, drown him in the ocean but he survived. The demon’s sister Holika who was given the boon that she would not be harmed by fire decided to take the child on her lap and sit on fire. However because the son prayed, he was saved from the fire while Holika perished. And the demon, to complete the story was killed by “Narasimha” an incarnate of the god who was half man, half lion, at dusk on the threshold of the house. So every household today burns scrap paper, wood or waste material a day before Holi - derived from Holika ridding themselves of all evil and purifying the air. The next day – the day of Holi is about exuberant colors, folk music and enhanced interactions in the community celebrating the triumph of good over evil.

Another story is about Krishna who was tired of being asked about his dark complexion when compared to his friends which included Radha. To change things Krishna devised the prank of throwing colors with the intention of changing complexion of his friends, girls included. Folk hymns and songs are composed and sung about Krishana romancing Radha who after initially resisting his advances gives in to his charms. This sounds as harmless and romantic as it can get. Another interpretation is that this story often becomes the sounding off point for what is known as “eve teasing” especially during Holi. Culturally Holi “allows” for what many anthropologists call “anti-structure” that implies role reversals, and the normal is turned on its head. All distinctions of caste, class, creed and gender are thrown to the wayside. Further, approaching another person hitherto unfamiliar and applying color on them is completely permissible during Holi. In an egalitarian world this would have been fine and for the most part it can be. Many incidents have been recorded before and during Holi where women are prone to attacks including groping and smearing colors without their consent. This can be because of ingesting the traditonal “bhang” an intoxicating drink made from cannabis but not necessarily so because offensive behavior is not regulated this day.

Perpetrators get away saying “this is Holi, please don’t take it otherwise.” The fine line between flirtation and sexual abuse diminishes as for many men it provides an easy access to women’s bodies. This behavior takes away from the essence of celebration. In the end many women recede into their homes where they are safer and not partake of the festivities or put up with all the transgressions that tantamount to abuse, which the men can “get away with.”

In the whole scheme of things the divide between women and men celebrating the festival inevitably grows. Nowhere in the texts – religious or otherwise is there mention of limited participation of women during a festival - which is what it has come to in urban India.

Subsequent to the heinous rape and death of a woman in Delhi, a recent survey conducted reveals that 9 out of 10 women feel unsafe in Delhi. The continuing instances of sexual assault on women reflects ingrained patriarchy which is further perpetuated through convenient interpretations of religious texts thus leaving the door wide open for serious lapses. My hope and wish is that the essence of Holi with its vibrant approach envelops everyone irrespective of who or what they are and transition to a more equal and just society.

Rajashree Ghosh is a resident scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University in Waltham.

By Rajashree Ghosh, Guest Columnist

Conversations sometimes take a turn for the ugly and it comes at moments that leave you quite dumbfounded. A comment about drivers from South Asia by someone I know and think of as intellectually evolved, was by far alarming. What played in my mind was how an intelligent discerning individual can be so determined about labeling and profiling with alacrity and impunity in a sense. But maybe intellect has nothing to do with it. Intellectuals and the lesser achieved all share the same world view –everyone knows what “their” world is all about and how different it is from “our” world. The separation between “us” and “them” takes several forms and stereotyping is one way of reinstating and perpetuating the gap. No wonder being pulled over for “driving while Asian” (DWA) elicits multiple reactions but mostly chuckles and laughter, unfortunately so.

I am quite aware that stereotyping of any community and definitely of South Asians in the United States is common. South Asians are caricatured through convenience store owner Apu in the cartoon series The Simpsons, feted for acing Spelling Bee contests and success in Information Technology, and courted for their wealth given their status as the ethnic group with the highest per capita income in U.S. Sometimes they are also chastised for not being part of the American mainstream. Many of you might be found answering questions about homes in slums because “Slumdog Millionaire” allegedly informed audiences that every Indian habitat is a slum; or if the language you spoke is Hindu (which it couldn’t be because Hinduism is a religion) and the confusing and multitude of media infused images of cows, poverty, Mother Teresa and then there is Kamasutra! Negative images about other cultures that main-stream North Americans are inevitably exposed to inevitably color everyone's personal socialization experience.

As Indians, we always referred to ourselves as Asians from the continent of Asia. Geographical location determined where one belonged. But in the United States, the country we live now in presents the world in different segmented ways. Asians are restricted to people from Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Indonesia and Korea and I am very reluctant to say that race has nothing to do with defining this category. Now we are saddled with the “South” Asian category, which by the way is a 1990s classification designed by the Washington bureaucrats. I along with many from that region who may belong to one of the several countries (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal) feel that we were given this “ours” and whatever it entails. It is by no means a homogeneous group. It may not even be possible to consider the diverse group of people who lived on a large continent and moved to the United States as a coherent unit of “South Asian-Americans” that can be stereotyped as a homogeneous group. But stereotyping still happens.

A demographic snapshot of South Asians in the United States crunched out from the 2010 U.S Census by an NGO group shows the Indian-American population in the U.S (including multiple ethnicities) grew 68 per cent over the 2000-2010 decade from 1.9 million to 3.19 million. Counting single ethnicity (discounting mixed race), the population grew from 1.67 million to 2.84 million in the same period. That made Indian-Americans the third largest Asian-American group in the U.S after Chinese-Americans (3.79 million) and Filipino-Americans (3.42 million), but with a much faster growth rate. People who identified themselves as Indian origin comprise the largest segment of the 3.4 million-strong. Such census data reflect that demographics of ethnic groups and nationalities can be important for stakeholders to undertake advocacy with government entities and make funding requests. State and federal lawmakers can also use the data to deepen engagement with the communities and reflect their concerns in policymaking.

While strength in numbers is a criteria and may also be a reason to be non-judging of a community, the fact is that the awareness of the "other" is limited and even discouraged. I look to India and see if this is specific to the US and it is not. Women from the west are branded as morally loose and sexually promiscuous. Who has not watched Pretty Woman and Basic Instinct! The other is defined as wild, less regulated and dramatically at the opposite end of the permissible behavior among “us.” Within the country looking inward, dark-skinned people are deemed as undesirable and less economically advanced and civilized. Fairness creams are endorsed by popular film actors who have large fan followings. Matrimonial ads ask for fairness as a prerequisite for brides (not necessarily for grooms).

I wonder if education needs to be more global that helps everyone understand the changes going on around them. It is probably not doing a whole lot to meet the requirements of a new world. By developing a prejudiced, short-sighted focus on the world – whatever the boundaries of that world, it is not creating informed citizens who are proud of their role in a pluralistic society because they remain less informed and that colors their perspective.

Rajashree Ghosh is a resident scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University in Waltham.

By Rajashree Ghosh, Guest Columnist

Time flies, heals; time comes and goes; time changes things and more. History is sometimes what happened yesterday and for others it was way back 300 years ago. Nations that have been colonized continue to exist with history in the forefront of their existence. India is no different. It’s colonized past is very much a part of what it is today. Even the generations that did not directly experience the British rule somehow continue to talk of time as before 1947 and after. And well the language they speak in, namely English is also a colonial import!

In a recent visit to India, the British Prime Minister David Cameron laid a wreath at the site of a notorious 1919 massacre. Known in history and public conscience as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre where with one ghastly order “fire”, the British general Dyer and his soldiers killed close to a 1000 unarmed people. The number of victims killed or injured has been a source of debate between Indians and the British but both agree the incident did happen. This incident has long been seen as one of the British Empire’s most shameful episodes. Indian scholars and students of history deem this incident a crucial moment in the country’s struggle for freedom.

“This was a deeply shameful event in British history — one that Winston Churchill rightly described at that time as monstrous,” Mr. Cameron wrote in the visitor’s notebook at the pink granite memorial. Like the queen before him, Mr. Cameron did not offer a full apology. A very sensitive and patient Indian media kept its ears open for more and was left quite disappointed. Mr. Cameron stopped short of apologizing for the attack, though, which some Indians had hoped would happen. His words of regret touched off a debate in India about what Britain’s current leaders owe India’s citizens, if anything, for the errors of their predecessors.

Britain’s colonial history is so replete with regrettable episodes that officials have quietly worried that an apology for one episode might lead to an outpouring of demands for similar apologies all over the world. In addition the British Foreign Secretary, William Hague had stated, "We have to get out of this post-colonial guilt," And that the British need to “be confident in ourselves.” “The days of Britain having to apologize for its colonial history are over". The question is has there ever been any apology expressed for British imperialism?

The Empire as we know it has virtually ceased to exist in global memory like an awkward phase in someone’s life and you know it happened but choose to not talk about it and hope everyone else does not remember.

India, the "jewel in the crown" of the British Empire was the richest of Britain’s overseas possessions, the center and symbol of empire, as the imaginative Disraeli realized when in 1876 he had Queen Victoria proclaimed empress of India. At the beginning of the 18th-century – before it was conquered – its share of the world economy was well over a fifth, nearly as large as all of Europe put together. By the time the country won independence, it had dropped to less than 4 per cent Throughout the nineteenth century many British “lived off India.” Some of them were in private business, but most were military and civilian workers. Yet Indians were gradually working their way into positions of greater responsibility, into both private and public posts at the policy-making level.

Western knowledge permeated into India and in some ways changed itself and changed the language of learning. In the 1800’s British financed schools to spread Western knowledge in the hopes of eliminating indigenous knowledge. For Indians western education was imbued with importance and status and for some their jobs and fortunes depended on it. Even today almost anything serious about knowledge in India is based on western pedagogy.

So when Cameron extends a hand, Indians wonder – trade it was that East Indian Company found reason to walk into the country and trade it is now. There are 1.5 million British voters of Indian descent he wishes to appease and yet the issue of post-study work visa for students in Britain remains unresolved. David Cameron has urged the Indian government to cut "regulation and red tape" in a bid to encourage more trade and investment involving UK businesses. UK wants to be the “partner of choice.” Additionally, what was left as evidence of the “burgeoning partnership” was a proposed joint cyber taskforce. The venture has been trailed as part of efforts to secure the personal information of millions of Britons stored on Indian servers against “cyber-attacks by terrorists, criminals and hostile states”.

Times have changed and this time it is different – a socio-political environment that dictates relationships between nations. Yet the memory of colonization is still very real, and the lived experiences of those times form the bedrock for future diplomatic relationships. May we all remember!

Rajashree Ghosh is a resident scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University in Waltham.

By Rajashree Ghosh, Guest Columnist

This month oozes pink, candy, chocolates, flowers, diamonds and yes Valentine. Sappy sweet commercials flood every media – television, internet or hoardings. Valentine's Day (V-Day) expenses in India overall are at $27 million based on a survey involving 800 executives in major metros and 1,000 students from 150 educational institutions. Youth working in call centers, IT companies and large corporations spend anywhere between $20 and $1,000 on gifts while students to spend $10 to $200 in US dollars.

What was new in addition to the love fest, albeit covert, was the call to strike, dance and rise all over India. Social media was flooded with carefully worked plans, dance moves for flash mobs that were to strategically appear in crowded places. The participation everywhere was at its best. In the city of Kolkata, the Maitree Network, a women's rights coalition, organized a cultural program and walk to get people in the city involved. Women from low-income colonies in Delhi organized candle marches in their localities. In Andhra Pradesh, those who benefit from the National Rural Employment Guarantee program took a pledge to end violence. In Mumbai, popular actors and singers attended public events. This was not just an anomaly in India – but in many other countries.

One billion people from 199 countries including India participated and called for 'Strike, Dance, Rise', in a global campaign called One Billion Rising on Valentine's Day. The campaign was initiated by playwright and activist Eve Ensler (known for her play The Vagina Monologues) against all forms of "sexual abuse".

According to reports by the United Nations, one woman in three worldwide — that is one billion — is subjected to some form of violence in her lifetime. These are the women whose problem Ensler wants to bring into the public consciousness. She wants governments to know that “ending violence against women is as important as ending poverty, or AIDS or global warming”. Ensler declared that it is time for women to rise to proclaim their aversion to violence.

The campaign for One Billion Rising (OBR) is characterized by: a global strike; an invitation to dance; a call to men and women to refuse to participate in the status quo until rape and rape culture ends; an act of solidarity demonstrating to women the commonality of their struggles and their power in numbers; a refusal to accept violence against women and girls as a given and a new time and new way of being. V-Day wants the world to see our collective strength, our numbers and our solidarity across borders. Activists, writers, thinkers, celebrities and women and men across the world will strike, dance and rise, coming together to express their outrage, and demand an end to violence against women and girls.
While reports from around the globe are representative of collective activism on violence against women, OBR remains a “foreign” as is Valentine’s Day for many countries. It is as alien as bra burning, or slut walk and many other demonstrations. It is seen as pure hype.

And right wing political parties went to lengths to ban celebrations on Valentine’s Day. According to them, celebrating Valentine's Day and other "Western traditions" results in rape and sexual assault. The battles are perpetually drawn between “Indian Values” and “western imports.”

There have been local women’s movements that may not be part of the waves of western feminism and further call for protests relevant to their issues. And for them too, OBR may be foreign yet they remain appreciative of “strengths in togetherness.”

Celebrations for V-Day reflected and in a sense leaned on the momentum gathered after the gang rape and death of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student in Delhi in December. It brought women’s rights and safety to the center stage of collective narratives on politics.

The reality is hard to swallow and ignore. According to National Crime Record Bureau in 2011, 14.7% rape cases are registered in cities while 85% rape cases are registered in rural India; there are more than 1 lakh rape cases pending; a total of 2,28,650 women faced violence and abuse during 2007-2011 which includes rape, kidnapping, abduction, dowry death, cruelty by husbands and relatives, molestation, sexual harassment, trafficking of girls and women. The National capital Delhi has the highest percentage of crime rates against women which is 31.2%.

Given the facts, the V-day movement designed to bring thousands to the streets is focused on changing public consciousness and engage in persistent debate on zero tolerance for violence against women. It proclaims a larger effort at changing social mindsets and attitudes. Much time has been lost at blaming ineffective government and agencies such as the police and it is time to work with people. And as the reports show, V-Day now has a more substantive relevance than what Hallmark cards or decadent chocolates can perhaps bring to bear on people’s lives. That is to say, roses have more meaning when the giver and the recipient are on an equal footing in the relationship.

Rajashree Ghosh is a resident scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University in Waltham.

By Rajashree Ghosh, Guest Columnist

Walk down Moody Street in Waltham one of the warmer days or any day – and yes, warm days are not too far off - and you will see a plethora of stores from around the world and people that visit them also belong to places around the world. Mexican, Italian, Indian, Guatemalan, El Salvadoran, Irish and more populate the restaurant row. Most of these businesses and people seemed like they have settled into the mosaic that they have contributed to making. It is a futile effort to determine who is “home” in the U.S. and who is not.

While each of the stores represents aspects of their identity, they also live with others and absorb elements from them. I have seen fresh poblano peppers, tortillas, and queso fresco in the Indian grocery aisles. Let me tell you, they are not part of the traditional Indian cuisine and yet their being available implies that diets are influenced and that each community visits the other. I am sure there are examples of other streets in the US but this is presented as an example for me to segue into a broader discussion on what comprises the population.

Not all of our predecessors came on the Mayflower – some did and some did not. This “nation of immigrants” values both tradition and the exploration of new frontiers, people who deserve the freedom to build better lives for themselves in their adopted homeland. As per the Census records (2010), there are 309,350,000 people living here -- almost 40 million people were born abroad, 17 million were naturalized citizens, and over 22 million were non-citizens.

While the immigration debate engulfs the US news the importance of immigrants to the country’s prominence is most imminent. However there are times when the word immigrant implies aliens. It sounds not too welcoming and a tad bit negative. The US Citizen and Immigration literature differentiates between a permanent resident alien and an illegal alien. Permanent residents are commonly referred to as immigrants. But the confusing thing is that the Immigration and Nationality Act defines immigrant as any alien in the US except one legally admitted under specific nonimmigrant categories.

Even as I am armed with that knowledge as a permanent resident alien or a nonimmigrant alien what I am receiving from this debate is persistent language about the “other” aliens - illegal and undocumented workers. In fact the government sources speak about the “problem” of illegal immigration where immigrants enter the country illegally by crossing the border between the United States and Mexico, or they enter legally but overstay their visas.

The United States Immigration Reform is specifically targeting the problem of 12 to 20 million undocumented workers, mostly from Hispanic speaking countries. And with that in mind, the proposed Immigration Reform includes issues of border security, worksite enforcements, guest worker programs, streamlining the current immigration and naturalization process.

Whether this is spawned by Obama or by a bipartisan approach, “they will have a pathway to citizenship over the course of 10 years."

Undoubtedly there is no available narrative on “legal” aliens. What has gone without much attention if at all is that Asians are the largest group of new arrivals every year, not Latinos. In 2010, 36 % of new immigrants were Asians compared to 31% for Hispanics. The US Census Bureau category of Asian-American includes six major countries – China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Vietnam and India. Among these, Indian Americans lead others in terms of income and education.

Comprehensive immigration reform is of relevance to all communities and specifically for South Asians. As a foreign-born community, regardless of status, South Asians are supportive of Obama’s immigration overhaul. There are several kinds of immigration roadblocks that this community faces. Because of visa backlogs in the family-based green card system, many South Asians can wait up to twelve years to be reunited with loved ones.

Skilled members who obtained degrees (in US universities) in science technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) have difficulty obtaining H-1B (employment permits) visas due to annual caps. And according to the National Foundation for American Policy, an Indian who files for an employment-based green card today can wait up to 70 years before obtaining permanent residency.

There are many working class South Asians who are in exploitative employment situations and need guaranteed worker protections. They contribute to the growth of the American economy and legally pay their dues. Most members speak English (because of their colonial pasts) in varying degrees and for those who don’t there needs to be an increase in resources to help immigrants prepare for citizenship.

To present immigration with negative connotations is to ignore the fundamental ideas that went into building this nation. Freedom and tolerance of differences are key characteristics of America’s charm. As a humanitarian issue immigration presents opportunities for inclusion, social and economic progress. Too much time is lost in developing nomenclature and too little time spent on learning about another culture, person or community. As a first step maybe we can visit a neighborhood ethnic store which might boost the local economy and connect with a different lifestyle.

Rajashree Ghosh is a resident scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University in Waltham.

Guraraj "Desh" Deshpande, a local entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist, has been named the 2013 Person of the Year by the India New England newspaper.

In an article posted Tuesday, India New England cited Deshpande's "continual influence in innovation and entrepreneurism.''

". . . unlike the serial entrepreneurs who repeatedly start and sell one cutting-edge company after another, Deshpande's efforts now are focused on helping others succeed in the startup world,'' India New England wrote, noting that he has helped create at least 100 companies.

His legacy includes the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at MIT. According to his biography, the Deshpande Foundation "has helped establish three other centers; Deshpande Center for Social Entrepreneurship in India, Merrimack Valley Social Entrepreneurship Sandbox in Lowell/Lawrence Massachusetts and Pond-Deshpande Center at the University of New Brunswick in Canada.''

He is listed as President and Chairman of Sparta Group LLC; Chairman of A123 Systems (AONE), Sycamore Networks (SCMR), Tejas Networks, and HiveFire.

Sycamore announced plans last fall to liquidate. A Chinese firm has been okayed to purchase A123.

Deshpande and his wife Jaishree have also donated millions to causes, including the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. The Deshpande's Peabody Essex donation, coupled with a second donation from another contributor, nearly tripled the area for Indian art at the museum.

By Christina Jedra, Globe Correspondent

South Asian Indians from Greater Boston region will gather this weekend to celebrate India Republic Day, the 64th anniversary of the country’s constitution coming into force.

The Indian Association of Greater Boston will host an event Saturday at Burlington High School from 4-8 p.m. Local artists will present musical, Bollywood, folk, and classical performances to showcase Indian diversity and their patriotism. Vendors will be present, and a folk art exhibit will hold a viewing. The event is free and open to the public, and food will be catered to the estimated 2,000 who will attend by One World Cuisine.

Amrit Soni, the president of the IAGB, said that attendees enjoy the program and look forward to it every year. According to Soni, Burlington’s celebration is a smaller-scale version of what occurs in India.

“Indian Americans who grew up here, this is one day of bringing to them the feeling they would have felt in India,” he said.

Soni said that this year’s IAGB event is held in tribute to late Indian musician Pandit Ravi Shankar, who died at the end of last year. It is themed “The Colors of India.”

Soni added that the fete is especially fun for children.

“They are really thrilled. They’re socializing, they’re dancing, they’re talking,” he said. “The energy is something I notice.”

On Jan. 27 from 12:30-4 p.m., celebrations for India Republic Day will continue with an event called “India of My Dreams.” Guests will gather at Bombay Mahal, a restaurant in Waltham. A buffet of Indian food will be available as well as contests for children.

The IAGB holds one other large event every year for India Day in August. Soni said that the organization hosts around 15,000 people at the Hatch Shell for the occasion that commemorates the country’s independence from British control.