The 77th Independence Day of India was celebrated with great fervour in different parts of Sri Lanka on August 15, 2023. The main event in Colombo was held at ‘India House’, the official residence of the High Commissioner of India. High Commissioner Gopal Baglay hoisted India’s National Flag and inspected the Guard of Honour. He also read excerpts of the address by the President of India to the nation on the eve of the 77th Independence Day.
Members of the Indian community participated in the event in their hundreds. On the special occasion, the High Commissioner administered the Panch Pran pledge, wherein all those present resolved to commit themselves to nation-building and resolved to make India a developed nation by 2047.
Several cultural events added flavour to the celebrations. The Sri Lanka Navy Band played melodious tunes, symbolic of valour and patriotism. Students of Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, the cultural arm of the High Commission, showcased two dance performances: a Bharatnatyam performance on the timeless bhajan ‘Vaishnava Janato’, and a fusion of Indian and Sri Lankan dance forms on a rendition of ‘Vande Matram’.
The High Commissioner and officers of the High Commission of India also paid homage at the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Memorial to the memory of the Indian soldiers of the IPKF who made the supreme sacrifice defending the peace and unity of Sri Lanka.
On this momentous occasion, special events were organised by the Assistant High Commission in Kandy, the Consulate General in Jaffna, and the Consulate General in Hambantota.
This year’s Independence Day celebration is the culmination of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ initiative, a global campaign to commemorate 75 years of a progressive and self-reliant India. Since 2022, India has embarked on a journey of 25 years of India’s transformative growth—”Amrit Kaal—to make India a developed nation by 2047. Members of the Indian community enthusiastically celebrated this Independence Day by participating in the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, as well as by recounting the stories of growing up in India and paying tributes to the motherland under the ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ campaign.
