India’s 75th Republic Day celebrated at the Indian Embassy

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Washington DC: Celebrating India’s 75^th Republic Day, outgoing Indian Ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Sandhu unfurled the tri-color flag at the Indian Embassy on January 26, 2024.

Soon after unfurling the flag and paying floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, Ambassador Sandhu addressed Indian Diaspora members and Embassy staff. He noted, “Every Republic Day is precious. However, 75 years is a milestone. On this day in 1950, we gave ourselves a set of principles to live by our Constitution which has since then served as a guiding light and has been the foundation of our democracy.”

Reflecting on the past 75 years, he further noted that, “We are proud of our achievements. We are equally inspired to make more strides in our journey ahead.”

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the significance of the next 25 years in India’s journey, and that the nation counts on the unwavering commitment of Indian Americans to propel India towards becoming a “developed” country. He also added that Nari Shakti, women’s empowerment, will serve as a crucial catalyst for the next transformative phase, while referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s quote, “In a gentle way, we can shape the world.”

Sandhu pointed out that India achieved significant milestones during its G20 Presidency by fostering collaborations and building consensus. He also underscored that India’s dedication to representing interests of the Global South was evident not only in the Summit but also in the inclusion of the African Union in the G20.

On the bilateral level, he recalled Prime Minister Modi’s historic state visit to the United States in June 2023, and said “the ceremonial and substantive aspects were clearly visible.” On the multilateral front, he stressed the growing significance in forums such as the G20, Quad, I2U2, and said that the US-India collaboration not only benefits the citizens of both nations but also contributes positively to the global community.

Sandhu said that both countries are working on areas such as technology, trade, space, semiconductors, healthcare, energy, and people to people exchanges. He also highlighted achievements such as India Chandrayaan-3 historic landing, and the global biofuels alliance launch, which reflects India’s dedication to green growth.

“We have lived the dream of our forefathers. Our children give us more confidence and hope to gain bigger. Today, India stands tall as a marker of peace, stability, innovation, and prosperity,” he added. “India has proved to the world that science and spirituality can converge, ancient and modern can converge, unity and diversity can converge, physical and digital can converge, bilateral friendships and plurilateral bondings can converge.”

First Secretary, Press, Information & Culture, at the Indian Embassy, Neha Singh, welcomed the gathering.