10th January 1951.

My dear Bhai Bhagwan Singh Ji

I am enclosing herewith a few invitations for the first anniversary of the Republic of India celebration to be held at San Francisco on the 26th of January. I shall deem it a favour if you will kindly give the invitation as much publicity as possible by distribution amongst our various compatriots and its exhibition in a manner that you may consider suitable. I will be happy to forward an additional supply of the invitations, if necessary, on hearing from you. I sincerely trust that you will find it convenient to join us on this occasion and try to prevail upon as many of our compatriots as possible to do likewise. It is for the first time that an effort is being made for a joint celebration by members of the community on the West Coast and I have no doubt that, appreciating its importance as you no doubt do, you will do everything possible to contribute towards its success.
The first two items on the agenda, namely, the unfurling of the national flag at 10 a.m. and the meeting from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m., will be restricted to the members of our community, while the programme of Indian music and dancing from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m., followed by light refreshments, will be attended also by our American and other friends, special invitations for which are being issued separately, as per copy enclosed. If you and other members of the community will very kindly favour me with a list of such of your American and other friends that you would like to be invited, I will be more than happy to issue the invitation cards to them. However, if you and others would prefer to send these invitation cards, I will be glad to forward such number of these cards as you and others may require.

I am calling a meeting of the Republic Day Celebration Advisory Committee and other distinguished compatriots of ours for Thursday, the 25th January, at 1 p.m. at the Consulate in order to finalize the agenda for the meeting on the 26th January and to allocate the work and duties in this connection. I also propose that the members of the Republic Day Celebration Advisory Committee and others should meet again at the Consulate at 10 a.m. on Saturday, the 27th January, in order to review the celebrations on the 26th January, and to plan out such further course of action as may be considered necessary. I shall be most grateful, therefore, if you will very kindly also attend the two above mentioned meetings on the 25th and the 27th January. Looking forward to hearing from you and to welcoming you,

Yours sincerely,

M.R. Ahuja.

Dr. Bhagwan Singh Gyanee,
2031 1/2 Workman Street, Los Angeles.

Encls: 3010 of each.

P.S. I am not sending any invitation to our compatriots in Arizona as I am not certain of their addresses. I would, therefore, request your sending these directly to the persons concerned.