Vidya Sethuraman
While India celebrated its 76th Republic Day at Rajpath in New Delhi with élan and in tight security with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto as the Chief Guest, Bay Areans too came in large numbers to celebrate India’s Republic day.
The iconic Gadar memorial, reverberating with the chants of ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and drenched in the hues of saffron, white and green, as the Indian tricolor was unfurled. The official Flag hoisting ceremony was held at the iconic venue with participation of the consulate staff and Bay area Indian community.
Consul General Ambassador Dr Srikar Reddy unfurled the flag, which was followed by the playing of the Indian national anthem. As is the tradition, the Consul General then read out the address of the Honorable President of India. As part of the celebrations, attendees at the ceremony also viewed the televised speech of India’s President, Droupadi Murmu.
In her speech, President Murmu highlighted the role of the diaspora, stating, “Our brothers and sisters living abroad have taken the best of our culture and civilization to different parts of the globe and have made us proud with their achievements in diverse fields. They have always considered themselves to be a part of the India Story.” Reflecting on her earlier address during Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Odisha, President Murmu expressed confidence in the diaspora’s enthusiastic participation in building a “Viksit Bharat,” or a developed India, by 2047.
CG Dr Reddy welcomed the guests and shared the importance of this day and the role of NRIs in the development of India. CG mentioned the US-India bilateral relationship is better today than it ever has been. “I look forward to continuing the partnership between our two countries and bolstering our shared democratic values,” he said.
The programme included a special Bharatanatyam performance on students of School of Indian Dance and Natyalaya kuchipudi.
Also Read: ‘I am excited to meet PM Modi’: Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Award recipient Dr. Khursheed
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