India’s 70th Republic Day was celebrated by a large and enthusiastic crowd of Indian citizens at the embassy premises on 26 January. Indians from all walks of life, school children and large gathering of families, joined Indian embassy staff in attending the flag-hoisting ceremony in front of the embassy.
The Ambassador of India to Kuwait H.E. K. Jeeva Sagar first placed a garland on the Mahatma Gandhi statue and then, unfurled the National Flag. The crowd saluted the flag and sang the Indian National Anthem as it was raised.
The Indian ambassador then addressed the community and read a message from Honorable President of India. In his speech, Ambassador Sagar lauded the continued close and friendly relations between India and Kuwait, and stressed that the Indian government is keen to further strengthen and expand the enriching relationship between the two countries.
He delved into the brief history of India’s Republic day before shifting his focus to the present by noting, “Today’s India is strong, robust and remarkably resilient. It is the third largest economy in the world on purchasing power parity, and is a proud member of the G20 group of large and powerful economies. India stood like a rock of stability amidst the financial turbulence not many years ago. The Indian economy defied that crisis, and it was a major contributory factor behind the faster recovery of the global economy in the following years.”
With regards to India’s remarkable achievements, he pointed out that India continues to be a global growth leader, maintaining its position as one of the fastest growing large economies. He noted that various initiatives undertaken by the present government has led to record FDI inflows and an unprecedented rise in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings. “India offers huge investment opportunities for the global industry and business,” said the ambassador.
Expressing his pride in the Indian community in Kuwait, the ambassador said, “The Indian community in Kuwait, which is present in almost all segments of Kuwaiti economy, has been playing a major role in the constantly growing upward trajectory of India-Kuwait relations. It would be my endeavor as India’s envoy to Kuwait to work closely with the Government of Kuwait to ensure that this human resource and people-defined dimension becomes an even more important and positive instrument towards furthering India’s ever-blossoming bilateral relationship with Kuwait.”
Colorful festivities marked the occasion, with the Bohra band playing and students from various Indian schools giving renditions of patriotic songs. The celebration concluded with an open-house reception.