New York: Drenched in enthusiasm and desi flavours, members of the Indian community on Thursday celebrated India’s 78th Independence Day at Times Square in New York City. Hundreds of members of the Indian diaspora dressed in tricolour, desi attire, gathered at Times Square, were seen dancing on Bollywood numbers as they celebrated the occasion with pride.
Minister for State (MoS) for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, also joined the celebrations and the flag hoisting ceremony at Times Square. The event was organised by the Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-NE.
Meanwhile in London, nearly 1,000 people of Indian heritage gathered at the High Commission of India to celebrate the 78th Independence Day, with music, dance and patriotic chants.
Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, marked the beginning of the event by unfurling the tricolour followed by the National Anthem echoing across India House in Aldwych.
He then read excerpts from President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day — a custom at the annual festive gathering.
“It’s always a delight and, in a sense, a privilege to host as many of our expatriate citizens, as well as, friends of India from the overseas citizens community here in London. Today’s turnout was genuinely more than we had expected,” Doraiswami told PTI.
“It all worked really well. People were in really good spirits, and I think the President’s message hit the right tone with its discourse about equity, inclusion and the idea of an India where the growth of political democracy is linked with the strengthening of social democracy. A very good message to land today and I think the audience really enjoyed it,” he said.
Reflecting on the India-UK relationship, the envoy noted that the bilateral partnership is in a “very good place” in a year that witnessed general elections in both democracies.
In India, the 78th Independence Day was celebrated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisting the tricolour and delivering his 11th Independence Day speech. In his address, PM Modi talked about implementing Secular Civil Code, security of Hindus in Bangladesh, securing women, bringing One Nation One Election, focus on technology among other issues.
Monuments, places of national importance were illuminated in tricolour as the country observed the Independence Day.
Bollywood Numbers, Desi Attire: Indians Celebrate I-Day At New York’s Times Square | Watch world-news World News | Latest International News | Global World News | World News Today
