Dubai: India’s tricolour fluttered high in the UAE skies as the country’s missions marked the 71st Republic Day on Sunday morning.
In Abu Dhabi, Indian Ambassdor to the UAE Pavan Kapoor hoisted the national flag on Indian Embassy premises.
Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul unfurled the tricolur and hoisted the flag at the Indian Consulate in Dubai.
The heads of the missions also read out the Indian President’s address to the nation.
Hundreds of patriotic Indians with no age bar attended the official celebrations at the missions waving the flag and mostly wearing attires in its colours.
After the flag hoisting ceremony at the consulate, the expats sang their national anthem and shouted slogans praising their mother land.
Patriotic songs and cultural performances were also held as part of the celebrations.
Amjad Khan, a Rajasthani singer who sang a patriotic song during the celebrations told Gulf News: “I don’t think we can celebrate our national days in such grandeur in many other countries. This is possible here because of our relations with the UAE. We love India and the UAE and I want to see the kind of harmony and tolerance that is there in the UAE in India also as we see some divisions in our society due to political issues.”
Raj Sharma and Ramkali Sharma, two retired teachers who are on a visit to Dubai, said celebrating the Indian Republic Day on foreign soil was a special feeling.
“This brought back a lot of memories of us organising the Republic Day celebrations in our school back in India,” said Raj Sharma.
Celebrations are being held in Indian schools, associations and offices as well.
