THE TIMES KUWAIT REPORT
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative by the Government of India celebrating the country’s remarkable growth and development over its 75 years of independence. The festival commemorates the people who have helped bring the country thus far in its evolutionary journey, as well as celebrates the power and potential that all Indians hold within them to take the nation forward in its triumphal march to the future.
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is a salute to the vivacity and dynamism of a nation, the ebullience and diversity of its people, the vibrancy of its culture, the resilience of its economy, and so much more. It is a recognition of all that is pioneering, progressive and preeminent in the nation’s socio-cultural, political and economic milieu over the past 75 years of its independence.
Official celebrations to mark Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav began on 12 March 2021, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi making the announcement at Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat. The launch of celebrations also commenced a 75-week countdown to the 75th anniversary of India’s independence on 15 August, 2022, which will culminate a year later on 15 August, 2023. Celebrations marking this historical milestone in the nation’s journey of independence pivots around the five themes of: Freedom struggle, Ideas@75, Resolve@75, Actions@75, and Achievements@75.
Launching the innovative and extended celebration of India’s independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared: “History is witness to the fact that the glory of a nation remains conscious only when it teaches the next generation of the traditions of self-esteem and sacrifice, and inspires them continuously. The future of a nation is bright only when it is associated with the pride of its past experiences and heritage. And India has a profound repository to take pride in, a rich history and a conscious cultural heritage.
“Like the history of the freedom movement, the journey of 75 years after independence is a reflection of the hard work, innovation, enterprise of ordinary Indians. Whether in the country or abroad, we Indians have proved ourselves with our hard work. We are proud of our Constitution. We are proud of our democratic traditions,” said Indian Premier Modi. He went on to explain: “The Azadi Amrit Mahotsav reflects the elixir of energy of independence; elixir of inspirations of the warriors of freedom struggle; elixir of new ideas and pledges; and elixir of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India). It is a festival of reawakening of the nation; a festival of fulfilling the aim of good governance; and a festival of global peace and development.”
Since 15 August 1947, when the tricolor of Independent India was first hoisted from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi, India has evolved on all fronts and in every domain to become a force to reckon with on the international arena. Today, India is more than a geographic landmass of over 3.2 million sq km, or a nation of over 1.3 billion people seeking their rightful place on the global stage. India is a country whose modern ethos traces its lineage back to the multi-millennium old civilization that held sway during its time.
India is a nation that today holds its head up high among the comity of nations by virtue of its intellectual achievements, its gracious contributions, its philosophical discourses, and its universalism in thought and action. India is the country that has transformed its billion plus people into a cohesive society; a people who live together in conviviality and draw strength from the diversity of their cultures and customs, their traditions, religions and languages.
Shattering its fetters and emerging from under the colonial yoke on 15 August 1947, India paved a path of growth and development that has enabled and served as a model for several countries across Asia, Africa and elsewhere to seek their own independence and chart their own destiny. Despite struggling to survive and overcome hunger, poverty and under development in the early years of its independence, India is today a beacon of hope and trust for the world. India’s developmental model, its various capacity-building programs, and its humanitarian efforts in the spirit of ‘Share and Care’, have assisted countries across the world.
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, India was one country which went way beyond her call of duty to help more than 150 countries with medicines and other assistance, and to provide millions of doses of vaccines to nearly a 100 countries. India’s spirit of sharing and caring for others, which emanates from the country’s ancient civilizational ethos of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (World is one family), has created a tremendous constituency of goodwill for India across continents.
In the international domain, India, which will chair the G20 in 2023, is taking the lead in a post-COVID era, even as the country continues to push forward its aspiration to take its rightful place at the high table of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). A place that is justly warranted for a country that promotes peace and development across the world through the dynamic five ‘S’ vision of its foreign policy, namely Samman (respect), Samvaad (dialogue), Sahyog (cooperation), Shanti (peace) and Samriddhi (prosperity).
Heeding the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian Embassy in Kuwait, under the able leadership and wise guidance of the Ambassador H.E. Sibi George, took on the challenge of celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, in a manner befitting the nation and reflecting the glorious 75 years of India’s Independence. Launching the celebrations in Kuwait last year, Ambassador George said the celebrations would reflect India’s profound progress in various fields over the last 75 years.
Revealing that India’s mega celebrations also coincided with the 60th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between India and Kuwait, the ambassador disclosed an ambitious plan to organize 750 events to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Indian independence, and 600 events to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, over the next two years.”
In line with this commitment, the Embassy of India has been organizing a multitude of events since then that highlight India’s growth story in various domains, as well as underlines the strength of bilateral relations between India and Kuwait. One such event was ‘Namaste Kuwait’, which was organized in association with the Indian Cultural Network (ICN) from 20 – 28 February, on the occasion of celebrations marking the National and Liberation Days of Kuwait.
Underlining the robust relations between India and Kuwait, Ambassador George noted: “Bilateral relations between our two countries were forged over centuries of commercial, cultural and social ties that were then further entrenched following Kuwait’s independence in 1961 and its rapid development into a modern state.” He added that the relations that have bound the two nations and its peoples for centuries continues unabated to this day with Indians now forming the largest expatriate community in Kuwait.
“The Indian Community in Kuwait has always played a commendable role in building our bilateral relations. During the last two years we have seen how this vibrant community came together and worked closely with the Embassy in addressing the many challenges associated with the COVID 19 pandemic that we faced. I thank our doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who are our frontline warriors in the fight against the pandemic. I also thank our scientists, our engineers and other professionals and our teachers who are among the unsung heroes in the fight against the pandemic.
“I also thank the Indian Community Support Group (ICSG) and the many associations and groups, who individually and collectively, joined hands with the Embassy and have been important pillars in our collective struggle to help hundreds of thousands of our brothers and sisters in need here in Kuwait, as well as back home in India.
“We can all be proud that today, as we celebrate India’s 75-year journey of independence, our country has emerged as a nation that inspires the world and is a leading country in the comity of nations contributing immensely to world peace, stability and prosperity. The vision of creating an environment of peace and security to ensure a better world for the entire humanity has always been the guiding spirit of India,” concluded the ambassador.
India at 75 and with its 1.3 billion voices has become an indispensable strategic actor and a force to reckon with and factor in all global calculations. If the past can serve as a good guide for the future, it is evident that India, with its distinctive ability to forge unity from diversity, will be key to traversing the many global challenges that call for global cooperation, coordination and solidarity among nations.
So, this 15 August, under the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ initiative, let us celebrate with pride the magnificent 75-year march of Independent India, and look forward with hope to the glories that await the nation as it heads towards its centennial celebration of independence in 2047.