The Federation of United Laconic Societies has impressed with its Panhellenic and worldwide character at the annual Greek national parade for the revolution of liberation of 1821, on 5th avenue, Manhattan, New York on 14th of April 2019.
The float of the Laconian (Spartan) Federation stood out with the glorious images of the famed Spartan King Leonidas, the last heroic emperor of Byzantium Konstantinos Palaiologos and abounded with heroic Hellenic messages.
Messages in the float “demanded” the annulment of the prespes agreement, and urged all to adapt to the Spartan Code of Ethics.
The great image of the hero Konstantinos Katsifas, recently killed by oppressive elements of the Albanian police, dominated in the rear part of the float, and showed the path of sacrifice, heroism and continuation of the spirit of the heroic 1821 Revolution of Liberation.
Philhellenes and Hellenes from the descendants of the the soldiers of Alexander the Great from the area of the ancient Hellenistic Kingdom of Bactria, where Alexander built his most remote Alexandria, proudly paraded holding Greek flags. They originated frim the Kalasha Tribe, and from Gilgit Baltistan.
They were dressed with impressive and colorful Macedonian looking local dresses.
The dynamic leader Mrs Laksan Bibi and the distinguished professor Saba were dressed with beautiful Kalasha dresses. Mr. Nasim wore the ancient Macedonian hat and ancient Gilgit Baltistan clothes. Some of those participants proudly held an impressive banner depicting the ancient kingdom of Alexander the Great. It showed the Hellenic Olympian world of our heart. It started from main Greece, Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) and reached all the way to India, and it had written with very large letters the message that “Macedonia is only one and Greek”
After that impressive Spartan banner, with the famous “Molon Lave” message which means “if you dare come and take them” enthused everybody and was strongly applauded.
The executive committee, namely the president Mr. Timoleon Kakouros, the general secretary Mrs. Athena Pristouri, and the A’ vice president Mr. Elias Panagiotakakos followed right after.
The former president of the Hellenic Societies of Greater New York Mr. Georgios Georgopoulos, Mr. Apostolos Tomopoulos, Mr. Nikos Diamantides, and Mr. Demetrios Kalamaras paraded after the executive committee and in front of a sizable body of Laconians showing their support for the national Hellenic Spirit of the Federation of Associated Laconian Societies.
The president and the executive board is appreciative of all the participants and the efforts of the organizers. Special thanks are expressed to the good and exceptional friends from the Kalasha People and Gilgit Baltistan that honored with their presence.
However, constructively speaking, the following mistakes and omissions from the announcers, who are personally very sympathetic and had worked very hard, need to be mentioned.
- They announced the wrong President and Society Members for our organization.
- They did not refer to one of the most important and highlight spiritual moment of the parade. They did not make clear that under and together with the Laconian federation paraded the Kalasha and a body from Gilgit Baltistan who are both decendants from the soldiers of Alexander the Great and come from the ancient area of Bactria.
- They wrongly announced that the Kalasha come from the foot of mountains in Afganistan, and not from the Hindu Kush valleys of Pakistan. In addition they did not understand the the order and structure of the parading body of the Laconian Federation, and wrongly announced that the famous historic message “Molon Lave” depicted in the impressive banner was held by the Kalasha and not by the Laconians who followed right after.
- Of course we understand the difficulties that the announcers had, and we thank them for their efforts. Nevertheless it is our view that all messages from the parading participant organizations should have been put in order so that mistakes should be avoided. In addition they should have been aware of the content of those messages for similar reasons. Nevertheless non withstanding some mistakes and omissions which were constructively mentioned, the parade was a huge success. The Federation of Laconian (Spartan) Societies came forth with its historic, Hellenic, and worldwide spirit and the love of friends from the great descendants of Alexander the Great.
