The Indian American community of the Princeton area is rallying to grieve the dead of the great tsunami and to raise funds for the relief of survivors.
On Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in Community Middle School, Plainsboro, the Indian American Civic Forum (IACF), based in Princeton Junction, will present a free cultural program in memory of the victims. Donations will be requested.
According to the IACF’s president, Nagender Racharla of Plainsboro, the program will be in two parts. It will open with an interfaith memorial service led by clergy representing the Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh and Christian faiths. The Princeton Girlchoir will perform.
Numerous civic leaders have been invited to speak, including U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-12), state Assemblyman Bill Baroni (R-Hamilton), Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula (D-Somerset), Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro), Assemblyman Gary Guear (D-Hamilton), and municipal mayors.
The second half of the program will feature music and dance. According to Mr. Racharla, the IACF has reached out to various schools and expects to present a school orchestra or jazz band.
Making a special appearance will be well-known Indian singer Anitha Krishna, with a chorus of her students. Also performing Hindu classical dance will be dance troupes headed by Sudha Sekhar Devulapalli, Bina Shah and Smita Miki Patel.
Supporting the IACF’s fund-raising efforts are the India Foundation of Metropolitan Princeton, the Indo American Cultural and Religious Foundation, the Princeton Chapter of the Association for India’s Development, and the Telugu Fine Arts Society.
Donors are urged to give generously. The IACF is a nonprofit civic and cultural organization; all donations are tax-deductible. Checks should be made payable to the Indian American Civic Forum, with "Victims of Tsunami" written in the check’s memo space.
Those interested in supporting the IACF but who may be unable to attend Sunday’s event can send checks to the IACF, P.O. Box 389, Princeton Junction 08550.

