Manama : The Indian Ladies Association (ILA) celebrated its Annual Day and Gabga On March 22, 2025, at Reem Al Bawadi, Ramada Seef, with the outgoing committee organizing a successful event.
To mark this significant transition. The celebration featured a ceremonial pinning where members of the outgoing executive team officially handed over duties to the newly elected
committee for 2025. The occasion was graced by representatives of the Indian Embassy to Bahrain, including Mr. Ravi Jain, Mr. Ravi Singh, and Mr. Rajiv Mishra.
This year’s event was particularly special as it celebrated Ms. Meena Bhatia’s 50th year of
membership and bid farewell to Ms. Nivedita Dutta, a past President and active member for
over 25 years, as she prepares to leave the island.
Highlighting a historic moment for the ILA, this was the first time in 69 years that the executive
committee was elected through a democratic electoral process, with all members of the
incoming panel led by Ms. Smitha Jensen winning their respective board seats.
In her acceptance speech, Hon. President Smitha Jensen expressed deep gratitude to the
members for their trust and laid out plans for exciting activities and workshops aimed at
empowering members. She emphasized the importance of making the ILA reflective of the
diverse cross-section of the community.
The contributions of the outgoing team of 2024 were acknowledged during the event, which
included Hon. President Kiran Abhijit Mangle, Hon. Vice-President Dr. Tejender Kaur Sarna,
Hon. Treasurer Sheetal Shah, Hon. General Secretary Sarmistha Dey, Hon. Secretary for Public
Relations Zamini Charak, Hon. Secretary for Entertainment Rrema Nair, Hon. Secretary for
Membership Hilda Elizabeth Lobo, Hon. Secretary for Operations Smitha Jensen, and Hon.
Secretary for Activities Dr. Gurpreet Kaur.
The incoming executive team for 2025 includes Hon. President Smitha Jensen, Hon. Vice-
President Fousia Sulthana, Hon. Treasurer Tessy Cherian, Hon. General Secretary Vani Sreedhar, Hon. Secretary for Public Relations Shilpa Naik, Hon. Secretary for Entertainment Sunanda Gaikwad, Hon. Secretary for Membership Vijay Lakshmi, Hon. Secretary for Operations Anuradha Sampath, and Hon. Secretary for Activities Kaihekushan Mohammed Omar Kazi.
The event set the tone for an exciting year ahead, as the new committee aims to strengthen the
ILA’s role in the community through inclusivity and engagement.
