The Victorian Multicultural Commission and the Victorian Government celebrated the state’s diversity heroes at an awards ceremony at the Government House on Wednesday evening.
Victoria’s Multicultural Awards for Excellence honour individuals and organisations that foster cross-cultural understanding, support migrants and refugees, and celebrate and promote diverse cultures.
Many among the Indian community living in Victoria were recognised for their work.
Amongst the award recipients was artistic director Tara Rajkumar OAM, who received the Premier’s Award for Community Harmony for fostering intercultural understanding through Indian classical dance.
Tara Rajkumar OAM is an artistic director, choreographer, teacher and performer of Indian classical dance.
Mrs Rajkumar has fostered cross-cultural awareness through hundreds of lectures, workshops and performances at schools and community events throughout metropolitan and regional Australia.
In one such project, she worked with primary school students to create a reinterpretation of J R R Tolkien’s The Hobbit through Indian classical dance, while in another the students put on an English-language performance of the Indian epic Ramayana.
Mrs Rajkumar has also helped children of Indian origin who have been adopted by Australian parents to stay connected to their heritage through dance.
Other award categories included business, government, education, youth and police.
Award for Meritorious Service to the Community
The Award for Meritorious Service to the Community recognises the outstanding achievements of individuals and organisations which enhance multiculturalism in Victoria through either paid or voluntary work.
South Asia Times was awarded for its Meritorious Service to the Community for its reporting of issues affecting Indian and South Asian communities, particularly in relation to domestic violence, crime prevention, and the promotion of community harmony, interfaith, sports and entertainment events.
Aloke Kumar was awarded in the Individual - Paid Work category for his contribution towards achieving intercultural understanding and community harmony and his fundraising efforts in response to the Nepalese earthquake in 2015.
Deepti Alurkar, Nalin Sharda, Puneet Gulati, Rohit Kumar and Uma Vijay were awarded in the Individual – Voluntary Work category.
Source: Facebook
While Ms Alurkar was awarded for founding the ‘Mums Dance Club’, an initiative that educates, engages and empowers Victorian women, which in turn educates and empowers family and community, Mr Sharda was recognised for his leadership and continued involvement in numerous community groups and creative initiatives, which have helped to preserve and share Indian culture and culturally and linguistically diverse literature, as well as helping seniors overcome isolation.
Puneet Gulati was awarded for his work for various non-profit organisations and commitment to empowering diverse communities, with a strong focus on tackling violence, harassment and bullying and Rohit Kumar for his work as President of the Australian Indo Fijian Association of Victoria, which has supported communities both locally and overseas, with a particular focus on children with special needs.
Uma Vijai took the award for her work on community events to celebrate Hindu festivals, running multicultural music and dance activities for children with special needs, volunteering with her local council and fundraising for a range of causes.
POLICE COMMUNITY EXEMPLARY AWARD
The Police Community Exemplary Award recognises police, community groups or individuals who have developed innovative strategies and initiatives that promote positive relations between police and multicultural communities.
Phulvinderjit Singh Grewal was recognised under this category for his outstanding contribution as a community leader at the Sikh Gurdwara in Craigieburn and with the Whittlesea Indian Consultation Group, working as a mediator between police and the community.
After Whittlesea was identified as a hot spot for attacks on Indian students in 2009, Mr Grewal worked with Victoria Police to implement a safeguarding strategy. Especially important were his efforts in relation to the introduction of the Kirpan card and the exemption of the Kirpan under the Control of Weapons Act.
Mr Grewal’s nomination highlights the crucial importance of local community leaders stepping up to the plate to resolve difficult and complex criminal, safeguarding and crime prevention issues.
Emerging Leadership in Multiculturalism Award
The Emerging Leadership in Multiculturalism Award recognises a newly-arrived migrant or refugee who is a leader in their community and volunteers their time towards initiatives which strengthen our multicultural state.
Indian-origin Nancy Loomba was awarded the Emerging Leadership in Multiculturism Award while Preeti Daga was highly commended in the category.
Ms Loomba settled in Victoria in 2012 and has been actively involved in a number of events to bring the community together and has shown great leadership in promoting multiculturalism.
She is a multicultural ambassador for the AFL and Cricket Victoria and has worked with Victoria Police and Leadership Victoria bringing together young leaders from diverse communities to address issues of disengagement and to celebrate diversity.
As Media Manager of the Brother and Sisters Foundation, Ms Loomba also initiated a program in collaboration with Positive Partnership to target the stigma around autism in South Asian communities in Victoria.
Ms Daga has been a strong advocate for diversity and gender equality through her work with organisations such as the Australia India Business Council Victoria (AIBC), Bully Zero Foundation, the AFL and Cricket Australia.
Nancy Loomba (left) with Governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau AC and Preeti Daga (right) with Governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau AC. Source: Facebook
She was recognised for organising outreach programs to encourage South Asian communities’ participation in sport and was pivotal in driving the success of the 2017 AFL Multicultural Round and Melbourne Football Club’s 2018 Welcome Game.
As Vice President of the AIBC, Ms Daga has been at the forefront of promoting trade and business relations between Victoria and India and over last two years has organised more than 15 events, working with the Indian Consul General, Victorian Government, federal agencies such as Austrade and various Indian state governments.
The ceremony was hosted by the Governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau AC, and attended by government, police and community leaders, as well as the recipients’ friends and families.
