Dubai: The colours of the tricolour — saffron, green and white — emblazoned the Indian Consulate in Dubai on Friday as thousands of Indians gathered to celebrate India’s 68th Independence Day.
Consul General Anurag Bhushan presided over the flag-hoisting ceremony on the consulate premises in Dubai. In Abu Dhabi, Ambassador T.P. Seetharaman hoisted the flag at the Indian Embassy in the presence of distinguished guests from the Indian diaspora.
Flag-hoisting ceremonies were also held in Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain and Kalba.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhushan hailed the strong bilateral ties between the UAE and India.
He congratulated the “dynamic” Indian community in the UAE for its contribution in building cultural and trade ties with the UAE. He concluded his speech by reading excerpts from the President’s Address to the Nation on the eve of Independence Day.
President of India Pranab Mukherjee had touched on the challenges India faces and called upon Indians to work together to address them. He mentioned issues like poverty, education and communal violence among other things. “A country of our size, heterogeneity and complexity calls for culture-specific governance models. It calls for cooperation in the exercise of power and assumption of responsibility ... It calls for constructive partnership between the state and the citizen,” he said.
He emphasised that now was the time for action and all country-men . “A nation is very young at 68. India has the will, energy, intellect, values and unity to claim the 21st century. The vision to win the battle of freedom from poverty is set; the journey will seem formidable only to those without conviction. As an old saying goes, ‘Sidhir Bhavati Karamja’, which means, ‘success is born of action’.”
After the ceremony in Dubai, a programme of multicultural music and dance, peppered with patriotic songs, was presented at the auditorium. The audience was swaying and dancing to the beats as toddlers, youngsters and the elderly alike were swept by patriotic fervour and waved the Indian tricolour.
About 1,500 members of the Indian community from all walks of life — students, teachers, businessmen, professionals and workers — attended the function.
