Timeline – Uttarakhand Foundation 501c3 [UANA-UF]

Dream and Shoot for the Stars. The future of our young state lies in your hands.

– Late Sh. L. S. Adhikari (1934-2004)

Antecedents

The first communities of Garhwalis and Kumaunis were established in the US and Canada along with the large-scale immigration of other Indians after 1965 and 1967 respectively. These communities were initially small and identified along regional lines. In the early 1990s, with the advent of a mass-based Uttarakhand movement back in India, Dr. P.D.S. Negi of Erie, Pennsylvania began organizing the Uttaranchal Association of North America, to bring together all Uttarakhandis from Canada and the USA in a cultural association. His efforts culminated in the first gathering of Uttarakhandis in 1997 in Erie and a convention in Toronto the following year.

Foundation of Association

As formation of ‘Uttaranchal’ as a separate state in the Indian Union became more certain, the Uttaranchal Association of North America (UANA-UF) was established in Fairfax, Virginia as a non-profit organization in December of 1998. Dr. Prabhu Negi of Erie, PA rendered inspiration and guidance for establishing the association formally. Late Mr. Lal Singh Adhikari was instrumental in establishing UANA-UF and he served as the founding President of the association. He guided the association through its formative years and continued to selflessly work on behalf of UANA-UF till his passing away in January 2004.