White House Christmas Invitation Honors Indian Seniors
Lalit Chinoy, with his son Mitren, meeting President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House Christmas Party on Friday, December 20. Chinoy is pointing out to Mrs Obama “that actually she is the President”.
By Jawahar Malhotra
WASHINGTON, DC: It was one of the most coveted of invitations during the Holidays and when Indian Seniors Citizen Association President Lalit Chinoy received the White House Christmas Invitation, he was honored and excited by the prospect. A jovial, bespectacled portly seventy-something year-old who has a penchant for telling one-liner jokes, Chinoy has dedicated himself to the task of moving the ISCA forward through sheer determination and example. This was amply on display when he committed the organization to the first National Indian Senior Citizen’s Convention at the George Brown Convention Center.
President Obama, with First Lady Michelle Obama by his side, addressed the guests from the podium before going down to shake hands and greet them.
It was at the convention that some people giving a talk on the Affordable Care Act noticed the importance of the Houston group. “I guess they saw what we had to offer”, said a jubilant Chinoy who wasted no time in responding affirmatively to the invite almost immediately, which was the opportunity of a lifetime.
“My son Mitren told me ‘Dad, I’ll take care of all the expenses’ and since my wife Chatur could not come, I called the White House to see if Mitren could”, explained Chinoy. “They said ‘Fine’ so we started packing”. It was also an opportunity for the ISCA to be recognized. “Never in 28 years had this happened to the ISCA”, said Chinoy.
Chinoy and his son made the two-day trip to Washington, DC, staying overnight at the home of some friends. After lots of security checks, they went into the White House and stood behind a roped off area in front of a decorated Christmas tree. There were a huge variety of hor d’ourves and drinks for the over hundred people who attended that particular event. The Navy Band played holiday music and into this festive setting, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama entered from the stairs and went straight to the podium at 4 pm.
“President Obama gave a short ten-minute speech, joking in between”, remembered Chinoy of the memorable occasion. “He said that all the invited community leaders should keep up the good work of uniting the people. The couple then walked down the front row shaking hands with people there and exchanging greetings, and since the Chinoys were in the front row they did so too.
“When Michelle Obama came to me, I just joked and told her that actually she was the President”, recalled Chinoy with a grin. “It seems she liked it and laughed and started patting my shoulder. I was lucky to shake hands with both of them”. After they had shaken hands, the Obamas walked quietly away.
“It was just such a memorable experience”, said an overjoyed Chinoy. “I will remember it forever”!