US police to tour Gujarat in solidarity show against terrorism
By IANSTuesday, May 18, 2010
NEW YORK - Organisers of America’s famed Police Unity Tour have offered to conduct a tour in Gujarat in January 2011 with 50 police officers from the US and India to show solidarity in the fight against terrorism.
In a spirit of solidarity, the officers will ride their bicycles to the Akshardham Swaminarayan Temple in Gandhinagar from Karamsad, the birthplace of Sardar Patel, Harry Phillips, executive director of the Police Unity Tour, announced at a function to celebrate Gujarat day.
Their objective would be to raise awareness about Indian police officers, who died in the line of duty fighting terrorism and show solidarity with their Indian counterparts as both India and the US were continued targets of terrorist attacks.
More than 800 law enforcement officials of the Police Unity Tour 2010 from across the US and members of the Indian American community attended the Gujarat Day celebrations at the Royal Albert’s Palace in Fords, New Jersey.
At the celebrations, Phillips declared May 9 as Sardar Patel-Police Unity Tour in New Jersey.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Gujarat’s statehood, the event was hosted by the International Gujarati Association and “We Share, We Care” foundation, a non-profit organization of law enforcement officers formed in Florham Park, New Jersey. It has sponsored the Police Unity Tour for the past 10 years.
It seeks to raise awareness about police officers who died in the line of duty. Each year, since 1997, about 800 police officers from across the country ride on bicycles from Ground Zero in New York to Washington aiming to raise awareness and financial support for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
The Indian Americans who were honoured for their services to the community include Nilesh Patel, Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, Sudhir Parikh, Chandrakant Trivedi, Sunil Nayak, Atul Kumria, Rajesh Bhatia, Mamta Narula and Paresh Gandhi.
