BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance declaring October 19, 2017, and every year thereafter as Indian Day in the city and appropriating funds for the said purpose.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Edgar M. Avila stated the local legislative measure shall also be known as the Baguio Indian Day ordinance and effective October 19, 2017, and every year thereafter, it shall be declared as Indian Day in the city where the Indian community will showcase their culture, customs, traditions and cuisine as well as afford the constituents of the city a chance to witness the same in various forms.
The ordinance proposed the necessary amounts required for the cost or expenses of the activities shall be included in the annual appropriations of the city.
The ordinance added the Indians have been in the country since the mid-18thcentury when 500 sepoys from Madras came with the British expeditionary force to occupy Manila.
Eventually, the Indians settled in the country and became merchants who went into the textile business through retail stores and door-to-door peddling of merchandise and later on to garment manufacturing and exporting.
The ordinance recognized the fact that it was actually the Indian businessmen who pioneered pre-cut garments employing skilled Filipino labor for re-export to the United States.
Avila claimed the city has long been the home of Indians who have migrated from their homeland to make the country’s Summer Capital their permanent home.
Further, he noted many well-known Indian-owned businesses such as Valirams, Bombay Bazaar, and Fil-Indian were some of the establishments that most people remember and have patronized through the years.
The ordinance cited the Indians did not only invest and do business in the city but also engaged themselves in community services that benefitted thousands of local residents.
Among the notable contributors was Tulsiram Sharma of Bheromulls Department Store in Session road who was active in the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) Baguio Council.
The ordinance noted very much like Filipinos, the Indians are a very charitable people and numerous Indian organizations conduct philanthropic activities not only in the city but also in the entire country serving thousands of poor families for many years now through their various social and civic programs such as feeding beggars, scholarships for indigent students, giving of free reading glasses, free artificial legs or limbs, and free wheelchairs.
Further, the Indians also have a very rich culture and their cuisine is worth embracing as it is now apparent that the socio-economic and civic ties of Filipinos have with Indians are here to stay as many of them have intermarried with Filipinos, thus, it is about time that Filipinos welcome and recognize their presence and contribution in the community.
The ordinance said institutionalizing the Indian Day celebration in the city is one of the ways by which Filipinos will be able to enhance their relationships with the Indians who opted to reside in the city and other parts of the country.
By Dexter A. See