NEW YORK (TIP): The 74^th Republic Day of India was celebrated at the  Consulate General of India, New York with a flag hoisting ceremony on Thursday, January 26^th 2023.

Consul General Randhir Jaiswal unfurled the national flag after which the national anthem was sung. Consul General then read out the address of the President of India. A short cultural program of patriotic songs was presented by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, USA. A large number of members of Indian diaspora and friends of India participated in the celebration. The event was webcast live through the Consulate’s social media platforms.

In the evening, the Consul General hosted a reception which was attended by prominent members of the diaspora, elected officials, members of the diplomatic corps, friends from the media and people from different walks of life. The leading lights of Indian diaspora graced the occasion, including Prof. S. R. Srinivasa Varadhan, the recipient of Padma Vibhushan this year – the second highest civilian award. State Senator Kevin Thomas, Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN Ambassador R. Ravindra, Consuls General of Japan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, Peru, Malaysia and Germany, besides diplomats from several other Consulates participated in the reception. More than 150 guests graced the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Jaiswal said: “Speaking to the nation on the eve of Republic, the Honorable President of India said and I quote: “With hope and confidence, we began an experiment unique in the history of humankind. Such a vast and diverse multitude of people coming together as one nation remains unprecedented. We did so with the belief that we are after all, one, that we are all Indians. We have succeeded as a democratic republic, because so many creeds and so many languages have not divided us; they have united us, that is the essence of India.” The ambassador added: “Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India continues to march on with speed and scale and more importantly, with humility and confidence. Our story today is both inspiring and assuring provided by transformative reforms, next generation infrastructure and empowering digital public goods. We are the fastest growing major economy. We recently became the fifth largest economy in the world and remain on course  to achieve our  targeted spot in the not so distant a future.”

The evening function began with singing of Indian and US national anthem by Master Ishaan Tangirala, a young talented singer of Indian origin from New Jersey. Consul General welcomed the guests and thanked everyone for their participation. He underlined the growing partnership between India and the US, the oldest and the largest democracies in the world and the key role of diaspora in strengthening these ties. Congratulatory video messages from Congresswoman Susan Wild and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick were played, followed by reading out of a citation from Congressman Michael Lawler. State Senator Kevin Thomas and Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar delivered remarks conveying their greetings on the 74^th Republic Day of India. This was followed by a video on the Consulate’s activities. Later, Grammy Award winning singer Falguni Shah gave  an enthralling performance of patriotic songs. Guests were then invited for an Indian dinner where they were treated to a wide variety of  regional cuisines. A special attraction on the menu was cuisines of millets from different parts of India, in celebration of International Year of Millets – 2023.

The event had a distinct flavor of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav – the celebration of 75 years of India’s independence. Enthusiastic participation from the diaspora ensured Jan Bhagidari – or people’s participation in the celebration of 74^th Republic Day.