ADJOURNMENT
Senator McLACHLAN (South Australia) (20:10): Earlier this month I had the good fortune of being invited by Adireddy Yara, one of the founders of the Adelaide Telangana Association, to join them in their celebration of their state formation day. Telangana is the most recently created state within India, which occurred on 2 June 2014, so it's not only a celebration of them gaining franchise but also to acknowledge the hard work everyone in that community and in that state did to achieve self-determination within the Indian federation.
Importantly, that evening, there was the launch of Dr Prem Dwivedi's autobiography. He started with humble beginnings in India and scaled the heights of academic achievement in South Australia. It was a great privilege to meet him.
His book is titled TheUnlikely Indian Migrant: From a Village Boy to a Scientist in Australia: Against All Odds. What struck me when I was reading the book was his description of the creation of the Sanatan Cultural Organisation of South Australia, which came out of the Indian community assisting each other during COVID. He writes a beautiful paragraph, which I'd like to share with you, that says: 'SCOSA became a reminder that the culture and faith are not relics preserved only in memory but living forces that continue to shape identity, foster belonging and build bridges across communities.
Through its celebrations, SCOSA showed how traditions carried from distinct homelands could enrich the social fabric of Australia while helping migrants feel connected, valued and at home. In many ways, SCOSA's mission extended beyond cultural preservation. It became a quiet yet powerful example of multicultural integration, where diversity was not merely tolerated but embraced as a shared strength that united people and connected them to the wider society wherever they lived'.
Can I leave senators with that wonderful paragraph as a timely reminder to us all in the current debates that what really makes Australia great is all its people, no matter how they found themselves coming to these shores. Senate adjourned at 20:12