[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 56 (Thursday, April 2, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E875-E876]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IN REMEMBRANCE OF VIJAYA EMANI

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 2, 2009

  Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Vijaya 
Emani, a profoundly respected and well known leader throughout 
Northeast Ohio for her work promoting peace, her work with Cleveland's 
Asian-Indian American community and for working to bring Cleveland's 
many international communities together.
  Vijaya was killed in a tragic accident on the Ohio Turnpike on 
January 15, 2009, at the age of 51. On that morning Vijaya was on her 
way to work at Kent State University when she stopped to help crash 
victims along an icy stretch of the turnpike. She is being honored by 
the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation on April 14 at its Annual 
Spring Dinner at Karlin Hall in Cleveland's Slavic Village.
  Vijaya was an active member of the Asian-Indian community of Greater 
Cleveland and served at the President of the Federation of Indian 
Community Associations in Cleveland. Due to her leadership, India is 
now among the many international countries represented in the Cleveland 
Cultural Gardens in Rockefeller Park. The Cleveland Cultural Gardens is 
an internationally known site which serves to represent the numerous 
diverse ethnic groups which continue to make Cleveland and the United 
States into the diverse, egalitarian, and pluralistic society we enjoy. 
Prior to Vijaya's involvement, representation at the Cleveland Cultural 
Gardens was mainly European; however, following the dedication of the 
India Cultural Garden, we celebrated the opening of the African-
American and Azerbaijani gardens and plans are now underway for Native 
American, Hispanic, Syrian, Philippine, and Vietnamese gardens.
  The India Cultural Garden is also significant for the giant statue of 
Mohandas K. Gandhi for

[[Page E876]]

which Vijaya worked to raise money for. She was a tireless advocate for 
peace, a Hindu, and a follower of the teachings of Gandhi. She was 
instrumental in bringing in Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Rajmohan Gandhi, 
to speak at One World Day at Rockefeller Park last year. Another aspect 
of Vijaya's quest for world peace was her participation in Toastmasters 
International. She appreciated Toastmasters founder Ralph Smedley's 
belief that if people could communicate better with one another, they 
could break barriers to peace. Vijaya was an active member of the 
Crossroads Toastmasters club in Strongsville and Toastmasters District 
10 in Northern Ohio. She received the one of the highest honors last 
year when she received the Advanced Communicator Silver award by the 
Toastmasters International.
  Vijaya used her communication skills to advocate peace not only among 
nations, but among families. She bravely broke her own silence about 
domestic violence, which even today is not widely discussed among 
immigrant families. After her own experience, she counseled other 
immigrant wives and girlfriends trapped in abusive relationships. She 
brought together fellow community activists in Cleveland's 
international community to form a coalition to confront domestic 
violence in immigrant communities.
  Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in remembrance of one of 
Cleveland's great champions of peace, Vijaya Emani. She developed her 
skills as a communicator and community organizer to bring peace in the 
home and peace in the world. The Greater Cleveland community will 
surely miss the presence of Vijaya at community events, but the passion 
and commitment she brought to everything she did will never be 
forgotten. Our condolences go out to her daughters Sujata and Nirmala, 
and her extended network of family and friends around the world.

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