Indian American girl raises $10,000 for Odisha train accident victims

In an effort to help victims of the Odisha train tragedy, an Indian American girl named Tanishka Dhariwal, and 16 others have raised over $10,000. The amount will be transferred to PM CARES Fund. Tanishka, a youth member of the Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA), handed over the funds to the Consul General of India in New York, Randhir Jaiswal. Tanishka’s friends hailing from different backgrounds have contributed to collecting the amount. “I was able to start a GoFundMe page. I contacted schools, districts, friends and family and raised over USD 10,000. Hopefully, this money will be able to go and help the people who have been affected deeply by this. I believe a little goes a long way and hopefully, this is a good start to it,” Dhariwal told ANI.

The donation ceremony was attended by Haridas Kotewala, patron member of RANA; Ashok Sancheti, advisor at Jaipur Foot USA; Ravi Jargarh, joint secretary of RANA; and Chandra Sukhwal, a senior member of RANA. Prem Bhandari, president of RANA and founding chair of Jaipur Foot USA, underscored the exceptional efforts undertaken by young Indian Americans like Tanishka. “In Tanishka’s heartfelt gesture, it’s not about the amount. It’s about the emotion behind it. This also highlights stronger ties that are still alive among U.S.-born Indian youth and their homeland. These connections take on greater significance against the backdrop of India’s ongoing pursuit of self-reliance under PM Modi," Prem Bhandari told ANI. Bhandari commended India’s self-reliance and its substantial role in international humanitarian assistance. Interestingly, former RANA president KK Mehta was among the first NRI to contribute Rs 1 crore on the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the PM CARES Fund. After PM CARES Fund was launched in Delhi on March 28, 2020, it garnered attention globally, and especially among members of the Indian diaspora across the world. A remarkable moment unfolded as RANA members KK and Chandra Mehta stepped forward as trailblazers. On March 30, they made a contribution of INR 1,00,00,000 to the cause. This act of compassion and generosity echoed their commitment to making a significant impact. Prem Bhandari applauded 16-year-old Tanishka’s efforts in the face of the Odisha tragedy. Tanishka says she will continue to raise funds for victims of the tragedy in Odisha where at least 288 people lost their lives after a collision involving three trains. With inputs from ANI