Festival of India parade celebrates independence

india flag

FREMONT — Dhol drums set the mood for Sunday's Festival of India parade, which was anything but The Doldrums.

Performers young and old drummed away on the traditional Punjabi percussion instrument with curved sticks while thousands of spectators began filling the sidewalks of the parade's path.

The slow but colorful procession started on Liberty Street at noon and snaked its way through Beacon Avenue and California Street before ending just past the grandstand on Walnut Avenue.

This year marked the festival's 17th year celebrating India's independence from British rule in 1947, and it featured the return of the parade after it was put on hiatus last year due to financial difficulties.

"Isn't this the best parade you've seen?" asked Federation of Indo Americans President Romesh Japra when he addressed the crowd surrounding the grandstand.

"This is a celebration of democracy."

Chants of "Bharat Mata ki jai," which translates to "praise the land of India," were shouted in unison from a number of those in attendance, and Fremont resident Nilesh Gandhi said the weekend's festivities should serve as a reminder of the Indian people's freedom and responsibility.

Excited attendees pressed up against the metal barricades to get a closer look at the floats, performers and public figures that comprised the parade, most notably at Grand Marshal Neha Dhupia, who sat on top of the back seat of a convertible as she waved to

Some of the more determined fans of the Bollywood actress ran into the street to try to take pictures of her, only to be escorted away by one of the five Fremont Police officers escorting the car, which also had Fremont Mayor Bob Wasserman riding in the passenger's seat.

The parade was led by two members of the Federation of Indo Americans youths, one carrying an American flag and the other carrying the flag of India.

The two later joined a number of the organization's other members on the back of their float, where they danced to a variety of Indian pop songs, one of which even featured a verse from rapper Snoop Dogg.

Vanilla Singh, a member of the federation and one of the parade's organizers, said it was important for her organization to hold events such as this because it benefits the younger generation of Indo-Americans.

"This is something that they can be proud of," she said. "It shows them the value of their roots and where their family came from."

The diversity of the Asian subcontinent was on display Saturday, both officially and unofficially, with a contingent of almost a hundred Sikhs voicing their opposition to the Indian government.

But Singh said part of the beauty of the celebrations is that people are entitled to their own opinions.

"We don't mind it. It's fair," she said. "People have the right to have their voices heard."