ICAQ and BMM participate in Multicultural Australia’s Luminous Lantern Parade

Every year, Brisbane City Council and Multicultural Australia organise a Lantern Parade to welcome new immigrants and refugees and celebrate the Queensland Day. This year also, Brisbane sparkled in beautiful lights to welcome the new immigrants and refugees settled in Brisbane.

Organisations in Brisbane, which work with immigrants, associations that are established in Brisbane by these immigrants, and councils that work with the immigrants and businesses that support the multicultural community, all participate and walk in the yearly parade. Some organisations create their own lanterns while others dress in their traditional attire, dance, play music, or simply participate with placards in their hands, welcoming the new immigrants and refugees as well as celebrate the multicultural community in Brisbane.

The parade, which was a completely inclusive event and much loved by Brisbanites, was led by government officials Hon Ms. Leanne Linnard MP, and Governor General Her Excellency Ms. Jeannette Young, who extended their support to the multicultural community in Queensland, helping them celebrate the Queensland Day.

The Indian Council of Australia, Queensland Inc (ICAQ), a newly formed non-profit organisation, participated for the first time in the yearly parade. They were assigned the Elephant Lantern, specially created for the ICAQ. The lanterns were designed and created by the community in Lismore, NSW.

Members of the ICAQ were at first reluctant to carry the Elephant Lantern as it seemed too heavy, however once the parade started everyone forgot how heavy it was. Also, two volunteers, Amal and Aarpit Singh, helped carry the Elephant Lantern, besides the parade organisers also appointing one person for the same.

Together the ICAQ team and Brisbane Maharashtra Mandal team, comprising of ICAQ President, Mr. Parminder Singh, Secretary of ICAQ and President of Brisbane Maharashtra Mandal Mr. Ganesh Deshpande, along with spouse Sonal Deshpande, Public Relations Officer of ICAQ, President of Watercolour Society of Queensland Inc, Secretary of Brisbane Maharashtra Mandal Mrs. Amrita Deshpande, and Indrani Ganguly, prominent Indian community member and author, walked the entire parade with the Elephant Lantern, which looked beautiful and amazed the onlookers.