FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JULY 8, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 23
Phagwa Parade founder Pandit Ramlall celebrated in Richmond Hill
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e spiritual leader who founded the
annual Phagwah Parade in Richmond
Hill was celebrated with a street co-naming
‘Respect’ campaign promoting environmental awareness returns
BY PAUL JUNIOR PRUDENT
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Th e “Respect” campaign meant to promote
water safety and raise awareness
about people’s impact on the coastal ecosystems
and communities of Rockaway
and Jamaica Bay is back for the third year.
Surfrider Foundation NYC and the
Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Park Conservancy
(JBRPC) teamed up again for the campaign,
which consists of action-oriented
messaging on posters written in both
English and Spanish. Expressive rippling
type and a colorful palette with the phrases
“Protect the Beach,” “It’s Th eir Home”
and “Keep it Clean” are posted onto
boardwalk fences.
Some new additions this year include
“Protect the Bay,” “Talk Some Trash” and
“Don’t Swim Alone.”
Shanna Blanchard, the director of strategic
partnerships and projects of JBRPC,
said there is a need to work together to
protect these “special places,” even with
limited resources.
“We hope the Respect campaign encourages
New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy
these places while also being respectful of
neighboring communities and the unique
plants and wildlife that call these parks
and shores home,” she said.
New Yorkers and visitors can see the
campaign throughout the summer in multiple
locations: across the entire NYC Ferry
fl eet, along the Rockaway boardwalk and
throughout Rockaway-based NYC Parks,
and in parks in the Jamaica Bay Unit of
Gateway National Recreation Area.
New York State Offi ce of Parks,
Recreation and Historic Preservation
opened 22 beaches, pools and spraygrounds
across the state for swimming
on Memorial Day weekend. Th ose areas
returned to normal operating capacity.
According to authorities, that has created
substantial challenges when it comes
to managing the levels of trash and debris,
limiting the eff ects of human activities on
local fl ora and fauna and avoiding waterrelated
incidents that cost lives each year.
“We believe that we have a responsibility
to protect our natural resources, just
as much as we have the right to enjoy
them,” said Chair of Surfrider NYC Nikita
Scott. “If New Yorkers come together to
be mindful of these issues and adopt positive
behaviors, our beaches and communities
will thrive.”
Th e core mission of Surfrider Foundation
and JBRPC is to protect New York City’s
beaches, shorelines and natural areas in
Jamaica Bay and Rockaway. Th e collaboration
strives to keep shorelines clean and
healthy while keeping people safe.
Respect Rockaway and Respect Jamaica
Bay messaging serve as powerful reminders
to people to make a dedicated eff ort to
protect and respect the community, natural
resources and themselves through
environmental stewardship and responsible
action.
Selman, a creative studio based in New
York City with ties to the Rockaway, created
the colorful palettes that intend to engage
local communities and all New Yorkers to
create a positive impact on Jamaica Bay and
Rockaway beyond the summer.
Johnny Selman, the founder of Selman,
said the identity and messaging system
refl ects the voice of the Rockaway community
and embodies the campaign mission
in a “bright and engaging way.”
“It’s all about how small acts of respect
have a much larger impact. By respecting
Rockaway, you’re respecting the community,
the environment and yourself,”
Selman said.
Surfrider NYC and the JBRPC are also
collaborating with local businesses, elected
offi cials and community groups to
increase the campaign footprint along
the Rockaway peninsula and throughout
Jamaica Bay.
Th is call to action is further reinforced
through community outreach and partnerships
that take the campaign to a
whole new level. A new collaboration
with Rockaway Brewing Company will
see a new beer dedicated to driving awareness
of the campaign mission.
To access more information on these
key issues and explore how you can
do your part to respect Rockaway and
Jamaica Bay, visit respect.nyc.
in his honor on Sunday, June 27.
Th e corner of 133rd Street and Liberty
Avenue is now called “Pandit Ramlall
Way” named for the late Dharmacharya
Pandit Ramlall, a community advocate,
scholar and educator who founded
the colorful Holi celebration, Diwali
Motorcade and the Arya Spiritual Center
of New York.
“Pandit Ramlall lived an extraordinary
life fi lled with purpose, learning and love
for his community. Th e new street sign
honoring his legacy is a fi tting tribute to
a leader who contributed so much to the
cultural, spiritual and educational fabric
of our city,” Councilwoman Adrienne
Adams said. “It was my honor to celebrate
Pandit Ramlall’s life with his family,
friends and community leaders. We will
never forget the tremendous impact he
had on the Guyanese community, Queens
and the entire city of New York.”
Th e street co-naming ceremony and
celebration, which featured prayers, songs
and performances, took place at the Arya
Spiritual Center Grounds, just 200 feet
away from the site where “Pandit Ramlall
Way” was unveiled.
“As we celebrated the unveiling of
Pandit Ramlall Way, the sun was as brilliant
as our illustrious nana (grandfather).
May his name and legacy forever inspire
thinking minds and determined characters,”
said Nivedita Balgobin, the granddaughter
of Pandit Ramlall. “If you can
learn anything from our nana, it is that
there is no rock bottom too deep to prevent
your growth. Growth is the product
of your own eff ort, not your circumstances.”
Ramlall was born in 1928 in Guyana to
Indian parents who died when he was 8
years old. Th rough hard work and determination,
he was self-taught and ordained
a priest at 19 and later received scholarships
to study in India and Suriname. He
later fought for Guyanese independence
from British rule and was imprisoned for
three years in Sibley Hall prison.
While imprisoned, Ramlall, a Hindu,
led hunger strikes because the prison did
not off er vegetarian food. He was denied
the ability to perform rituals as a Hindu
priest, but due to his persistence, his
demands were eventually met.
“He is a unifying fi gure whose absence
is felt three years aft er he has passed,”
District Leader Richard David said. “I’m
proud of his accomplishments on behalf
of the Indo-Caribbean people, Hindus
and residents of New York. Th is street conaming
represents the best of us.”
Fearful of his family’s safety, Ramlall
migrated to the U.S. in 1974, settled in
Queens and went to work in the city’s
public hospital system. He served as a
union rep with Local 371, served as a
volunteer Chaplain for NYC Transit and
became secretary of the Queens Interfaith
Council.
“Pandit Ramlall is very deserving of
this street co-naming in his honor,” state
Senator James Sanders said. “He was
well-loved in the Richmond Hill community
and beyond, especially among
Guyanese religious leaders and followers
of Hinduism. He has been recognized
for his many contributions to
Guyanese and Indo-Caribbean immigrants
in Queens.”
Ramlall founded a mandir near his
Briarwood home, which became the
Arya Spiritual Center of New York and
led the purchasing of the lot in South
Richmond Hill that eventually became the
Arya Spiritual Center Grounds. Ramlall
founded the Phagwah Parade and the
Diwali Motorcade, annual traditions and
iconic events that are now part of the
Queens cultural landscape. In recognition
of his contributions to the borough,
former Queens Borough President Helen
Marshall declared March 23, 2003, as
Pandit Ramlall Day.
“As the fi rst Hindu-American ever
elected to New York state offi ce, I am
deeply moved by the historic naming
of Pandit Ramlall Way aft er a revered
Hindu faith leader. Th e Hindu values of
karma yoga (selfl ess action) and satyagraha
(soul force) guided me to embrace
this life of public service. Th ese were the
same values that Pandit Ramlall taught,”
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar said.
“I am humbled that a street in the heart of
Richmond Hill has now been named aft er
him, and I strive to carry on his legacy.”
Photo courtesy of Adams offi ce
Family and friends of Pandit Ramlall gather in Richmond Hill with elected offi cials to honor Pandit
Ramlall’s legacy with a street co-naming.
Photo courtesy of Respect campaign
Respect campaign returns for the third year to the Rockaways and Jamaica Bay.
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