Popular community worker and Urdu and Hindi language expert Roopa Suchdev is the new President of the Urdu Hindi Cultural Association of New Zealand.
She is the first woman to hold the top post in the organisation since its inception in 2009.
Dr M M Baig Taimoori and Dr M A Haque were elected to the post of Vice-President.
Syed Mujeeb Hyderabadi continues as General Secretary.
Among the other officials elected or nominated were Tehseen Sultana (Treasurer), Ghouse Majeed (Events Manager), Preeta Vyas (Women’s Affairs) and Suman Kapoor (Media).
The Annual General Meeting, held on September 10, 2017 at the residence of Mr Hyderabadi, also elected Nafees Akhtar, Kanika Desh, Roshni Navjot Chadha, Akash Ishaq Altaf, Shiv Bhagirath, Mohammed Sharique and Shaikh Shamsuddin to the Executive Committee.
Advisors appointed
The Meeting also confirmed Mohammed Tauqir Khan, Maqbool Ahmad, Dr S D Mathur, Rajesh Maharaj, Dr Preeya Punjabi, V Giridharan and Faiyam Khan as Members of the Advisory Committee.
National MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi continues to be the Patron of the Association.
Anne Degia-Pala conducted the Election as the Returning Officer.
Financial woes
Dr Taimoori said that the Urdu Hindi Cultural Association is the only organisation of its type in New Zealand comprising people of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Fijian descent.
“We conduct literary and cultural programmes to celebrate our traditions with the members of the New Zealand communities and to encourage our younger generations to uphold and foster these values. Mobilising finances is extremely hard but we continue to conduct our activities with the support of our members and commercial organisations that believe in preserving and promoting our culture,” he said.
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Photo Caption:
Roopa Suchdev (third from left) and other members of her Committee
(Picture Supplied)
