ON behalf of the organising committee, we would like to thank the efforts and support of a range of agencies and individuals who played a great part in making Blackburn Mela one of the premier family and multi-cultural events in Britain.

Their phenomenal contributions can only be placed into context when you look back to more than a year ago when there was no real awareness or expertise within the borough to organise or support an event on this scale.

Our thanks go to Blackburn with Darwen Council -- its councillors, legal and policy department, departmental support services and officers (in particular Councillors Ashley Whalley, Andrew Grimshaw, Vicky Hope and Yasmin Powell).

The police (in particular Sergeant Rigby and his team), Lancashire Fire and Rescue Services, the ambulance services, the Army, Blackburn Rovers Football Club, Lancashire Evening Telegraph, BBC TV, Granada TV, BBC Radio Lancashire (in particular Rahila Banu and Talat Farooq Awaan), Poshaak Fashions, Healing Arts, Action Factory, the caterers, cleaners, the electrical technicians, the security staff from Back Stage, the community organisations and volunteers involved.

An event such as this takes an extremely long period of time to plan and deliver. Like anything worthwhile, many difficulties at times are always going to be faced. It is easier to give up if your intentions are not genuine, but all the people involved had the strength of conviction to see beyond these difficulties, not get side-tracked and work together to deliver this fabulous multi-cultural event.

As was clearly visible, the Mela is not a religious or Asian event, as a few ill-informed minorities may think. It is a community and multi-cultural event, encapsulating all the communities.

The aim is to raise awareness of and understand each other's cultures, thereby living in harmony. Knowledge and understanding creates tolerance rather than ignorance and hatred.

It is open to all. The organisers did not represent the intent of a section of the religious or minority groups but that of the communities as a whole. Such events are here to unify and create harmony, rather than cause deliberate divisions so that certain people maintain their hold on power or maintain a typically deliberate nonsensical and morally suppressed hold on the conscience of normal law abiding and taxpaying people.

We hope all those who attended enjoyed some of the best performances the Asian entertainment industry has on offer, along with all the other many ranges of activities on offer, such as the funfair, food, stalls, massage and health studio, the fire rescue and sports activities, the alternative stage with English music, crafts and henna painting marquees, the circus exhibition and the parade procession and brass band at the end.

Our thanks go to you all and the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen which has yet again shown a superb example of what a pro-active council with vision it is, when it comes to strengthening community relations. Thanks for having faith in us.

NAUSHAD SURVE, Chairman, Blackburn with Darwen Mela Committee.