BAWA President’s Letter (2024)

Dear Members,

Shubho Sharodiya,

As we embark on the festive season of Sharodotsav (Spring Festival), I extend heartfelt wishes from my family to yours. May our lives be blessed with joy, happiness and prosperity. This is also the moment to pause and reflect on us as a community, and the world we live in today.

BAWA has been a key part of our community for over 32 years, but the story of Bengalis in Western Australia began more than 50 years ago. Over the decades, we have grown from small social gatherings to large festivals and cultural events, creating a rich and colourful community.

We Bengalis are a lively community rooted in the land of Tagore. We love food, celebrations, performing arts, literature and nirbhejal adda. But most importantly, we celebrate our culture, support our young generation, and connect with the wider community to contribute to a multicultural Western Australia.

However, while we celebrate, we must also recognise the difficult state of the world today. Ongoing wars, unrest in Bangladesh, and recent tragedies in Kolkata remind us of the challenges we face. Here in Australia, rising living costs and mental health issues have led to violence and security concerns, some affecting our own Perth.

Bengali Association of Westralia Australia stands in solidarity with R G Kar. We as a community strongly condemn this horrifying incident, and we demand justice.

Also, we have consistently stepped up to support others, whether by raising funds for bushfire victims, providing relief during COVID-19, organizing blood donations, or participating in community welfare activities. This year, BAWA is launching a Community Outreach Program to help people in need in Western Australia.

The present committee started this year in April with our celebration of Rabindra Jayanti at the Consulate General of India in Perth. We have successfully organized our Annual Cultural Night and Blood Donation Camp. Now, we are thrilled to celebrate our biggest event: the Spring Festival – Cikka Durga Puja 2024! We warmly invite all community members, their families, and friends to join us in this grand celebration. Let’s welcome Goddess Durga with open hearts. Your participation will help make this event successful, enjoyable, and truly memorable.

Additionally, please mark your calendars for our first Bijoya Mela on November 9th at the Amphitheatre of the City of Canning. This outdoor family event will feature delicious food, trade stalls, and cultural performances to celebrate Bijoya Dashami with the wider WA community. We have many events planned for this year, so please save the dates and plan to participate.

Keeping with the tradition, we have another edition of our legacy – Oikyotaan this year. Each page of this magazine showcases the incredible talents and stories that define our community, and I encourage you to explore these articles as they reflect our shared values and aspirations. I am also very pleased to announce the launch of Oikyotaan Online – a digital version of Oikyotaan hosted on the BAWA website where all contributions will be published and hopefully drive wider circulation and followership.

Finally, on behalf of the Management Committee 2024-2025, I want to express my gratitude to our elder members — your support has shaped who we are today. Thank you to all our members, friends, family, sponsors, and volunteers. Together, we thrive as a community.

I cannot thank you enough for your support this year. I am confident that it will continue throughout the rest of the year.

On behalf of the BAWA Management Committee, I wish you all the best.

Dr Sushmita Guha,
President,
Bengali Association of Western Australia (BAWA)