Chicago, Oct 15 (IANS): An umbrella body of various Indian American organizations, has honoured six individuals and three organizations for their exemplary contributions to the welfare of the community.

The awards were presented to the recipients at a gala banquet Saturday in Chicago, in conjunction with the 17 the biennial convention of the National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA).

The names were recommended by an award committee headed by Haresh Panchal, past president of NFIA.

"We are indeed delighted to honour these recipients for their valuable service to their profession and their contributions to Indian American community," noted NFIA President Lal Motwani.

The six individual award winners were: Harkrishana Majumdar and Dr. Najma Sultana for their involvement in community service; Nitin Shah in the field of hospitality and financing; Sid Gautam for promoting entrepreneurship; Rathna Kumar for her excellence in performing arts and Dr. Hemant Patel for his service to medicine and organizational leadership.

Three organisation, Sahara TV, India Abroad, the oldest Indian American weekly, and Indo-American Centre of Chicago, an organization that focuses on assisting South Asian immigrants as they adjust to life in the United States, were also recognized for their exemplary achievements.

The convention discussed several contemporary issues facing the Indian American community in nine conference sessions.
These included Indian Americans making an impact in America, political participation, remembering pioneers especially Gadar heroes at the 100th Anniversary Celebration being hosted by the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) and other groups, social services to the community, senior citizens programmes, tax related issues, youth and young professionals achieving success and India's development.

Since its inception in 1980, NFIA has held its biennial conventions in various US cities to mobilise and unify the local community.

NFIA has been credited for many accomplishments, including its role in strengthening US-India relations, making US lawmakers aware of issues of concern to the community, and presenting testimony on the interests of India before the US Congress.