Indian High Commission celebrates 63rd Republic Day of India
The High Commission of India and the Indian expatriate community
celebrated the Republic Day of India on January 26.
The full text of the press release:
The High Commission of India and the Indian expatriate community in
Sri Lanka celebrated the 63rd Republic Day of India on Thursday, January
26, 2012, at India House in Colombo. High Commissioner Ashok K Kantha,
unfurled the National Flag and inspected a Guard of Honour presented by
the BSF contingent. He read out significant excerpts from the Address to
the Nation on the eve of Republic Day by the President of India, Mrs
Pratibha Devisingh Patil.
The High Commissioner noted that the President of India had given the
nation a clear message on its vision and goals, as it sought its destiny
in a complex and challenging global environment. He said the President's
speech underlined the need for all Indians to seek directions from
India's age-old values, the ideals of the freedom movement and the
principles of the Indian Constitution, while also emphasizing unity, a
positive attitude and the aspiration to grow without getting distracted
by discordant pulls and pressures.
He summarized the state of India-Sri Lanka relations, noting that the
year 2011 had witnessed impressive progress in all areas, including
political, security, trade, investment, tourism, education, culture, and
development cooperation, in view of the unprecedented opportunities
created following the end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka. He
referred to the recent successful visits of the Minister of External
Affairs of India, S M Krishna and that of the former President of India,
Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, pointing out that India was the largest trading
partner of Sri Lanka, a leading investor and also the source of the
largest number of tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka. In 2011, bilateral
trade surged by over 70% and is estimated to have touched an all-time
high of US $ 5 billion, while Indian companies invested over $ 100
million in Sri Lanka. He also highlighted the vast expansion in India's
development assistance and the growing recognition that Indian projects
were being completed in a timely and efficient manner. Referring to the
MoU signed for construction and repair of 49,000 houses under a grant
assistance of US$ 260 million, he pointed that this was perhaps one of
the largest projects of its kind undertaken by India in a foreign
country.
Dwelling on the importance of cultural cooperation and
people-to-people links, he pointed out that India had just announced a
three-fold increase in scholarship schemes for Sri Lanka, involving a
grant of Rs 2.5 billion. Indian Railways would be launching a special
train named 'Damba Diwa Vandana', to take Sri Lankan Buddhist pilgrims
from Chennai to all major Buddhist sites in India. The High Commissioner
also announced the launch of the High Commission's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/hcicolombo),
to provide an interactive platform for the various activities of the
High Commission.
A brief cultural programme organized by the Indian Cultural Centre
followed. Its highlights were singing of patriotic songs and Kathak
performances by the students of the Indian Cultural Centre.
Subsequently, the High Commissioner of India and other officials of the
High Commission paid their respects to the memory of fallen soldiers of
the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in a solemn ceremony at the IPKF
memorial in Colombo.To commemorate India's 63rd Republic Day, reputed
danseuse Aditi Mangaldas and her troupe, presented "Rhythm and Sound", a
contemporary Kathak performance at Bishop's College Auditorium on
January 25. Sri Lanka's Minister of Power and Energy Champika Ranawaka,
was the Chief Guest on the occasion. The troupe, sponsored by Indian
Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), have already performed at Galle
and Kandy and will be performing in Jaffna later this week. |