26 January 2016 was a memorable day for H.E. Mr. J. S. Mukul, Ambassador of India, his staff, and the Indian Diaspora in the Netherlands. It was the day on which the Republic of India celebrated its 67th Republic Day.
In The Hague, the day started with a flag ceremony at the Gandhi Centre. Later at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Ambassador Mukulat hosted a soirée consisting of a reception, dance by a Kathakali dance group from India led by Mr. Nandakumaran Nair, and dinner-buffet. The buffet was prepared by two renowned master chefs, Mr. Shailendra Kumar and Mr. Suresh Kumar, both of whom were in town for the Indian Food Festival hosted at Hotel Crowne Plaza in collaboration with India Tourism Office Amsterdam.
For a Marian van Noort photo album, please click here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157663434456219
Republic Day of India is not to be confused with Independence Day. Republic Day is the celebration of the adoption of the constitution and the values of justice, liberty, equality, pluralism, and secularism enshrined within it.
At the reception, Ambassador Mukul warmly welcomed his two hundred-plus guests, comprising dignitaries, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Dutch community and the Indian Diaspora.
Here follows a brief summary of Ambassador Mukul’s welcome remarks:
“It is my proud privilege and pleasure to welcome you all on the happy occasion of the 67th Republic Day of India. I extend my greetings and felicitations to one and all on this occasion. I would like to extend a special welcome to our guest of the evening Mr. André Haspels who is representing H.E. the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands. We are delighted to have you, Sir.
“India is clearly on the move, with a high growth trajectory. Science tells us that when the Indian elephant gathers speed – characteristic of the Indian tiger or lion – it has momentum. However, at the same time, we are indeed mindful of the numerous challenges that lie ahead of us.
“At the bilateral level, 2015 has been particularly good for Indo-Dutch relations. We have had major business delegations led by the Mayors of Amsterdam and Amstelveen and an unprecedented two delegations from The Hague Municipality, of which one is presently in India as I speak. But the peak of our bilateral relations in the past year has clearly been Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s landmark visit to India in June 2015 with a mega business delegation. This was further reinforced by the valued presence of the Prime Minister at the recent launch of India’s initiative called ‘International Solar Alliance’ on the sidelines of COP-21 in Paris.”
“Going forward, India remains a shining example among the emerging economies, with economic growth of 7.5%, expected to rise to 8.9%. India has many flagship programmes underway, including Made-in-India, Digital India, Skill India, Smart India, Smart Cities, Clean India, Start-up-India, and Stand-up-India. These and others provide ample complementarities and opportunities for Indo-Dutch cooperation in future.”
“Turning from the bilateral to the multilateral, during 2015 India pursued its proactive engagement and constructive role in the multilateral and legal organizations based in The Hague – the city of peace and justice. The forthcoming year, 2016, promises to be even more active and interesting across the spectrum.
“Excellencies, we seek to work in close cooperation with all concerned in different fora.”
The Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Andre Haspels also addressed the gathering.
Among other things, Mr. Haspels made reference to the four centuries-old relationship between the Netherlands and India. He also noted Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s recent visit to India.
In New Delhi, Republic Day is celebrated in with a grand military parade. The Prime Minister of India lays a floral wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti to honour the unknown soldiers. The President’s bodyguards on horseback escort the President of India to Rajpath where he joins the other dignitaries for the hoisting of the National Flag.
This year, the President of France, Francois Hollande, will be attending the event as Chief Guest. It will be the first time since 1950 that a foreign army will participate; the French 35th Infantry Regiment of the 7th Armoured Brigade will march down the Rajpath. In 2015, it was the President of the United States, Barack Obama, who attended India’s annual Republic Day parade as guest of honor. The stunning, hours-long spectacle showcases the best of India’s culture, military, states and federal programs.
The 2016 celebration of India’s Republic day celebrations should be classified as a tremendous success.
