India is wherever you are

On the occasion of India's Independence Day, I wanted to share two wonderful experiences that made me feel so proud of being an Indian and that too an Indian living in America.
Last Diwali, I had an opportunity to enter a video contest, "India Is" organized by public diplomacy division of the ministry of external affairs (India). There were 3 theme categories - India is colorful, India is creative and India is wherever you are.
I entered in the category "India is wherever you are". I had a lot of fun making the video and giving the reasons why I love being an Indian, even though I am so many miles away from India. The grand prize winner of "India Is" was "That Indian Blaze In My Dream" by Umang Khanna .
The purpose of the video contest was for the world to tell the story of India's soft power, as they saw it. The video challenge aimed to allow individuals from different cultures and backgrounds to express their creativity, understanding and display their artistic prowess on subjects that really define our nation. The uniqueness of this challenge lay in the fact that individuals from all over the world would be using the medium of film and technology to capture and showcase their understanding and comprehension of what India means to them.
The "India Is" global video challenge received more than 260 entries out of which 245 qualified for the jury round. Of the 245 entries, 123 were internationally received, covering 40 different countries from 6 continents.
The highest numbers of entries were received from Europe, with the total count going up to 58 entries - almost 50%, with the highest participation from France. Europe is followed by North America. We got 22 entries from USA and 8 from Canada. 3rd in line is Asia, from where we got 15 entries (excluding India).The remaining 21 entries were collectively received from Australia, Africa and South America. The highlight of the event, according to the ministry of external affairs, was participation from countries like Peru, Romania, Armenia, Belarus, Serbia, Palestine, Moldova, Nicaragua, Lithuania, Chile, Panama, Colombia, Mexico, Ethiopia and Turkey.
Of the 30 finalist, 3 entries were from American Citizens: "Reflections, India" By David Mekler & Mikcey Todiwala "Holi. Festival of Colours. Utah" By Evan Carpenter "Time Travel" By Tara Kelton.
On another occasion last year during the month of December , I had the distinct honor of participating in a ceremony called " 31 Nights of Lights" , by which the Indian Tiranga colors could been seen across the Boston skyline for miles away, on top of the Prudential Building in Boston. Every year for Christmas, in December, the shops at the tall Prudential Towers in downtown boston, partner with various non-profit organizations and allow them to 'turn the switch on' to the lights on top of the building, in colors representing the organization.
On December 22nd 2011, the Boston chapter of Association for India's Development (AID) lit up the top of the Prudential Towers in downtown Boston in the colors of the Indian flag. AID Boston had participated as one of the Lighting Partners for the 2011 "31 Nights of Light" event at the Prudential Center. Association for India's Development (AID), a non-profit organization that has been supporting and initiating projects for just, sustainable, and equitable development in India for the last 20 years. The colors represent the social development work that AID promotes in a variety of interconnected fields in India. AID works with partners in the areas of education, livelihood generation, natural resources, agriculture, health, women's empowerment, and social justice aiming to reach the most marginalized communities in India.
In October 2011, AID received the Times of India Social Impact award for its global contribution to the development of India. See video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yofi91EzLZQ .