Indian Ambassador H E Vipul with other officials during the flag hoisting ceremony yesterday.
Doha: The 78th Independence Day of India was marked with great fervor and enthusiasm in Doha yesterday. In a ceremony held at the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) more than 350 Indians and friends of India in Qatar joined the celebrations.
The official ceremony began with Ambassador H E Vipul hoisting the Tricolour, followed by singing of the National Anthem and reading the Address to the Nation by President of India H E Droupadi Murmu on the eve of the Independence Day.
Indian Ambassador H E Vipul (right) with other dignitaries during the ceremony at the Indian Cultural Centre yesterday.
The full text is available at https://presidentofindia.nic.in/speeches. Ambassador and community leaders also paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi.
In his remarks, Ambassador highlighted the intense diplomatic exchanges between India and Qatar in recent months including the visit Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Qatar in February 2024. He appreciated the excellent role played by the Indian community in the development of Qatar and nurturing India-Qatar ties.
The Ambassador thanked various Indian community organizations for their support and contributions towards the well-being and growth of the community.
He also expressed his gratitude towards His Highness Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the Government of the State of Qatar for their continued patronage and support to the Indian community in Qatar.
On this occasion, Indian community members and school children presented patriotic songs and cultural programmes. The event was simultaneously live-streamed on social media handles and on You Tube Channel of the Embassy for those who joined the event virtually.
A number of other events celebrating India’s Independence Day have also been held over the past week. One of these was the planting of trees on August 11 at the Embassy, ICC and ICBF under the initiative of #Plant4Mother launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
One of India’s most important successes over the eight decades of independence has been its emergence on the global stage as a vibrant democracy. This year was especially important in this context as the world witnessed the largest democratic elections in India held in a free, fair, transparent and peaceful environment with an electorate of more than 960 million.
Following the results, the new Council of Ministers led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi took oath on 9 June 2024 and the National Democratic Alliance began its third term in the government.
