Thousands celebrate India's independence BY TOM CAIAZZA Staff Writer PHOTOSBYSCOTT FRIEDMAN Clockwise from top - Traditional Indian dancing was evident at the India Day Parade on Oak Tree Road, which went through Edison and the Iselin section of Woodbridge on Aug. 12. The parade marked India's 60th independence day. A young woman wears a traditional Indian headdress on a float. Himani Kumar [r], 10, Basking Ridge, and Manish Arora, 10, Freehold, proudly fly the Indian and U.S. flags. Bhagwat Patel leads his fellow members of the Indian Business Association at the parade. The shouting could be heard for blocks."Bharat mata ki," barked a man in white robes as he clutched a microphone and bounded across the stage. "Jai," the crowd yelled back. Oak Tree Road in Edison and Iselin was lined eight to 10 people deep, with parade-goers dancing and singing and waving flags. They celebrated under a boundless blue sky, with many children viewing the festivities on the shoulders of fathers, and the women clad in vibrant colors. All were yelling the same thing - "Bharat mata ki, jai." "Victory to Mother India." On the 60th anniversary of Indian independence, more than 25,000 people celebrated on the streets of Edison and Woodbridge with one of the largest India Day parades the area has ever seen. Indian Americans came from all over central New Jersey and the greater tri-state area to celebrate India's peaceful overthrow of Great Britain and the birth of the world's largest democracy. "You feel excited," said Jagajit Singh, who came from Brooklyn, N.Y., to see the parade and celebrate independence. "Even though you are in the U.S., you are participating in your country's parade." Singh said that though he lives in the United States, he has a strong connection to India and is glad to see that the two countries are able to work well together in the global community. "India is in the news," he said. "The economy is booming. Everything is going up, up and up." Singh credits the United States with helping India's economy. "As a leader, your role is to empower," he said. "The U.S. is empowering their economy." For some attendees, the parade was a chance to see the entire community come together for a grand celebration. "We are happy to see so many people here," said Bhupan Wakankar, of Metuchen. "It is good for people to get together." The parade was sponsored by the Indian Business Association (IBA), the New Jersey Federation of Indian Associations, and nearly 70 New Jersey-based Indo-American organizations. The parade boasted contributions from over 150 volunteers, and celebrities and elected officials were honored guests. "As I look out at the crowd of countless people celebrating today," said state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-18), "it makes me proud to be an elected official." Buono said the parade symbolically represented the goals of equality, freedom and democracy, mutually held by the United States and India. Middlesex County Freeholder Director David Crabiel pointed out other similarities between the two countries. "Some years ago, we broke away from England," Crabiel said. "Sixty years ago, you broke away from England. We are proud of the Indian community in Middlesex County." The Grand Marshal of the parade was Urmila Matondkar, a famous Bollywood actress. When her float reached the parade's end, hundreds of onlookers approached to get a closer look. According to census figures, New Jersey has the third highest number of Indo-Americans in the nation, with 169,180. That number has risen 113 percent since 2000 and is 2 percent of the state's total population. This year saw the launch of the Indo-American Caucus. It is a political branch of the Edison Democratic Organization and the first in the state to have members on the party's board. The Asian population makes up 13 percent of Middlesex County. A two-hour cultural program was held at the conclusion of the parade, featuring traditional dancing and singing and booths of local businesses.