Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
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 joining in the virtual celebrations due to the pandemic. Consul General Ambassador Dr Nagendra Prasad 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.
On this occasion, let us also remember the great freedom fighters who showed incomparable courage in their pursuit of the dream of Swaraj and fired up the people to fight for it. By fulfilling the fundamental duty of rendering national service when called upon to do so, crores of our people have transformed the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the COVID vaccination drive into mass movements, President Kovind addressed.
List of dignitaries that had given video greetings for the Republic day celebration at CGISF.
- Lt. Gov. Denny Heck – Washington State
- Sec. Steve Hobbs – Washington State Secretary of State
- Rep. David S. Schweikert – Arizona
- Rep. Brad Sherman – California
- Rep. Young Kim – California
- Rep Steven Horsford – Nevada
- Rep. Adam Smith – Washington State
- State Senator Mona Das – Washington State
- State Senator Manka Dhingra – Washington State
- Mayor Nancy Buckus – City of Auburn
- Mayor Bruce Harrell – City of Seattle
- Mr. Dow Constantine – King County Executive
- Mr. Satpal Sidhu – Whatcom County Executive
Due to the current pandemic caused by COVID-19, the event was telecast live through the Consulate’s social media platforms. The event was viewed virtually by around thousands all across the West Coast. The cultural program was also conducted in a virtual format.
Performers at the event:-
Online Cultural Events – Aerodance; Kuchipudi; Neil Nayyar
On Jan 28, Consul General Dr Prasad hosted a reception for dignitaries, elected officials and Indian community members at the Green Room, San Francisco War Memorial and performing arts center, SFO. CG Dr Prasad 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. It appears that bilateral trade in 2021 broke our previous record, and this despite the challenges of the global pandemic. U.S. companies continue to be widely considered the largest source of foreign direct investment into India.
CG Dr Prasad thanked the diaspora members and dignitaries who graced the occasion. Eleni Kounalakis, Lieutenant Governor of California addressed the gathering and emphasized on how California enjoys a robust trade relationship with India, particularly in the area of agriculture and technology. Though Indian Americans are 1.2 percent of the American population, 9 percent of doctors in the US are of Indian descent. The Indians have made an impact in the Silicon Valley as well. One in every-ten tech workers is of Indian origin and one in every three start-ups has an Indian co-founder. They comprise 8 percent of the founders of tech companies.
Prof Arogyaswami Paulraj – renowned scientist, Pandit Zakir Hussain – renowned tabla maestro, Mr. Clayton Stanger, Regional Director, OFM D/O State addressed the gathering. CG Dr Prasad presented commendation letters to Prof Anurag Mairal and Vivek Wadhwa. Cultural program for the evening was presented by Ms Bhavana Reddy, Video message/Song by Kailash Kher and Saxophone by Neil Nayyar.
In 2022, India and the United States are expected to move forward on a wide-ranging set of initiatives, including fight against the pandemic, climate change, QUAD, and new and emerging technologies, the White House said on January 10.
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