65th India Republic Day: Charity dinner for a good cause |29 January 2014

Welcome on arrival by an entertaining mascot, around 250 plus locals, members of the Indian community and visitors attended a charitable dinner commemorating the 65th India Republic Day.

The event took place at the Asian Fusion seafood cuisine and bar at La Plaine St Andre on Sunday night.

Among those who responded to the charitable cause were Minister for Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports Vincent Meriton, Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange, Indian high commissioner to Seychelles Thanglura Darlong and other high government officials.  

Organised by Asian Fusion seafood cuisine and bar of the Pillay R. Group, the evening saw guests seated at decorated tables with the names of India’s 28 states and union territories. India was the VIP’s table and other guests were seated at Anhra Pradesh, Rasjashan, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Gujarath, among other tables.

According to Mr Ramu Pillay, chairman of Pillay R. Group, funds raised at the event will go to a charitable organisation on necessity merit.

“We will be organising other fund-raising activities during the year and money raised will be put together with money raised today in a fund that will be given to the one that is in need at the end of the year,” explained Mr Pillay.

Entertainment for the evening was provided by veena artist Srimati Revathi Krishna and her group flown in from India by Pillay R. Group. Mrs Krishna is well known for playing traditional, classical and light music. Her special performances include performing at the prestigious Rashtrapathi  Bhavan and also at the World Tamil Conference.

Playing the Indian vainika, Mrs Krishna, accompanied by her group, played the Indian and Seychelles national anthems, before mesmerising guests with other light forms of music.

Addressing guests, Minister Meriton congratulated the Indian community on their 65th India Republic Day and offered his gratitude to all who had been helpful to Seychelles.

“India has provided us with the multi cultural and multi administrative society as we are and India continues to play a very important role in the development of our country, be it in the economic, social, environmental or in any other field,” he said.

Minister Meriton thanked Mrs Krishna for her music especially for the perfect rendition of the Seychelles national anthem.

For his part Minister St Ange also congratulated the Indian community on their day and elaborated on the ‘melting pot of culture’ that is the Seychellois nation.

For dinner, Asian Fusion chefs had prepared a sumptuous vegetarian and non-vegetarian buffet. Vegetarians enjoyed rasam (a soup), mix vegetable salad, stir fried chilly mushroom, vegetable briani, mushroom matal, among others while non-vegetarians had sambalikan, chicken khama, pepper fried lamb, chicken briyani and others.

Different desserts like ice cream, crème caramel, broken rice pudding accompanied the buffet.  Mr Pillay said he was very satisfied with the turn-out and he is thinking of staging the event annually.

It is to be noted that Mrs Krishna and her group were to perform last night for the general public at the International Conference Centre. Money raised from the concert will go towards helping flood victims on La Digue.