The Ambassador of India, His Excellency Venu Rajamony, also in the picture his spouse, Dr. Saroj Thapa.
By Roy Lie Atjam.
Open House at the residence of the Indian Ambassador
On August 15, 2018, India celebrates its 72nd Independence Day. The Embassy of India will mark this memorable event by a special flag hoisting ceremony at ‘India House’ in Wassenaar.
Invited to the special flag hoisting ceremony were: all members of the Indian community, people of Indian origin and friends of India.
The event will start with the hoisting of the Indian flag by the Ambassador, singing of the Indian national anthem and reading by the Ambassador of the address to the nation by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind.
Address to the Nation by the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, on the eve of India’s 72nd Independence Day
Excerpts from what H.E. Ambassador Venu Rajamony has read follows hereby.
“Dear Fellow Citizens
My greetings to you as we complete 71 years as an independent nation. Tomorrow we will commemorate our 72nd Independence Day. For every Indian, whether living at home or anywhere else in the world, August 15 is sacred. It is marked on our calendars as a celebration of our sovereignty. We unfurl our national flag with great joy and enthusiasm in workplaces, municipalities, panchayats, colleges, schools, homes and neighborhoods. Our Tricolor is a symbol of our national pride. It is a constant reminder of our striving and our self-belief. It is a day to look back with satisfaction and gratitude for what we have been able to achieve due to the efforts of successive generations of our elders. And it is a day to renew our resolve to fill the gaps that still remain in our nation building project – gaps that our talented young people will no doubt fill.
Freedom came to our country on the Midnight of August 14-15, 1947. It was the result of years and decades and centuries of sacrifice and valour on the part of our ancestors and our revered freedom fighters. These were men and women of rare courage and foresight. They came from all regions of the country, all sections of society, all communities and all social and economic groups. They could easily have compromised and settled for some personal benefit, but they did not. Their commitment to India – to a free, sovereign, plural and egalitarian India – was absolute. It was my privilege to honour these freedom fighters on the anniversary of ‘Quit India Day’ on 9th August in Rashtrapati Bhavan.
We are fortunate that we have inherited the legacy of such remarkable patriots. They left us with a free India, but they also left us with unfinished tasks for the development of our society, for the empowerment of the proverbial last person, for their liberation from poverty, and social and economic inequality. Every breath in our collective life as a nation is a tribute to our freedom fighters – and a commitment to accomplish whatever is still unaccomplished.
Women have a special role in our society. The expansion of freedom in our country in many senses amounts to the expansion of freedom for women in our country. This is true whether we see them as mothers, sisters, daughters or simply as women who are entitled to a life of their choosing – and deserving of the opportunity and the security to fulfil their potential. They could do this as sheet-anchors of our families or as absolutely critical entrants to our institutions of higher learning and our workforce. The choice is theirs; as a nation and as a society we must ensure that they have the right and the ability to exercise that choice.
Independence Day is always special, but this year there is anunusual significance attached to it. In a few weeks, on 2nd October, we will begin the commemoration of the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhiji did not just lead our freedom struggle. He was and still is our moral compass. In my capacity as the President of India, I have been fortunate to have travelled around the world, particularly to a few countries of Africa. Everywhere, across continents, Gandhiji is mentioned, cherished and remembered as an icon for all humanity. He is the embodiment of India.
Dear Fellow Citizens
In my engagements with students and university authorities all over India, I have urged students to spend a few days – maybe four or five days in a year – in a village. Undertaken as part of what may be termed “University Social Responsibility”, this will help students understand our country. It will allow them to observe and participate in social welfare programmes and see how they are making an impact. It will be of benefit to the individual student and to the village, as well as to the country. It will also invoke the fervour of our freedom struggle, and the identification of every citizen with the national mission.
I am gratified by the idealism and the passion of our young people. There is a spirit to achieve something for oneself, for one’s family, for wider society and for our country. This is the most moral education we can wish for. The outcome of education is not merely a degree or a diploma, but the commitment to help improve the life of another in a way that is sustainable. This is empathy and fraternity in action. This is the Indian spirit. This is India, because India belongs to the people of India – not just to the Government.
Together we can help every citizen in our country. Together we can conserve our forests and natural heritage, we can safeguard our monuments for future generations, we can renew our rural and urban habitats. Together, we can eliminate poverty, illiteracy and inequality. We can and we must do this together. The government has a leading role but not the sole role. Let us use the government’s programmes and projects to further our own efforts. Let us make that sense of ownership our motivation.
With those words, I once again wish you and your families all the best for Independence Day and best wishes for a bright future.”
A quote by H.E. Ambassador Venu Rajamony
“India and the Netherlands have a long history of friendly bilateral relations going back to more than 400 years, encompassing many areas of shared interest. We share common ideals of democracy, pluralism, multiculturalism and the rule of law. There is great momentum in our bilateral ties following the visit of Prime Minister Mark Rutte to India in May 2018 along with the largest ever Dutch trade mission to India. I am confident that we will see renewed efforts from the Governments and peoples of both our countries towards further strengthening our robust ties and raising them to new heights in the coming days. I welcome you to join us in celebrating India’s 72nd Independence Day.”
Additionally Ambassador Venu Rajamony mentioned the upcoming International Day of Non-Violence and invited to join the ‘Gandhi March’ in The Hague on September 30, 2018 at Peace Palace.
The celebration72nd Independence Day concluded with a cultural program and refreshments.
