Indians across the world celebrated India's 76th Independence Day fervently on August 15 with the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav campaign.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the campaign as a tribute to the Indians who have been instrumental in the nation's development. It also reinforces the Prime Minister's vision of India 2.0, fueled by the spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Various celebrations were held in different cities in New Zealand to mark this occasion by the Indian diaspora communities.
New Zealand's South Island community also held ceremonies for hoisting the tricolor and celebrating the day. Here are some of the prominent events that took place in Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown and Invercargill on the day.
Christchurch
In Christchurch, members of the Indian community gathered at Maia Foods, where owner Hitesh Sharma has been organising a flag-hoisting event to mark India's Independence Day for the past six years. Nearly 50 community members gathered for the ceremony to sing the national hymn, honour the Indian flag, and pray for the well-being of the nation.
Lieutenant Colonel Sadat Abbasi (Rtd-Indian Army) hoisted the Indian flag.
According to Sharma, the prominent Christchurch mortgage expert Sandeep Khanna suggested the idea of holding an Independence Day event. The thought behind organising the event was to acknowledge and appreciate the sacrifice of our ancestors in India's freedom struggle. There had not previously been a planned celebration of Indian Independence Day in Christchurch, so Sharma, Khanna, and a few friends decided to hoist the Indian flag to mark the day.
It has now been six years of celebrating the day without a miss, thanks to Sharma's dedication and consistency, and over the years, participation from the community has increased manifold.
Sharma says, "Even though we now call NZ home, we should never lose sight of our roots and origins. We are incredibly proud of India's diversity, traditions, and rich culture."
Following the flag-hoisting ceremony, the gathering sang the national anthem and enjoyed delicious chai and pakodas.
Lt Col Abbasi has had 20 years of checkered service with the Indian army, having served in operational provinces of Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and J&K, both commanding troops in active operations and also served on important staff appointments.
In his message, Lt Col Abbasi said, "As we commemorate the milestone of 75 years of independence, we should be incredibly proud of our accomplishments and progress in nearly every sector. Since our nation is the youngest in the world, its future success will be fueled by its youth population.
"Independence Day celebrations express our national identity and culture, which we proudly and joyously do today. Congratulations to the organising team and everyone who attended, especially the young children who braved the cold weather early in the morning to participate in the festivities. Most impressive is the dedication of women, which is evident in their efforts to make the event a success."
Dr Surinder Tandon, President of Christchurch Multicultural Council, who is currently visiting India, said in his message, "I extend my warm greetings to all on the occasion of 76th Indian Independence Day. I sincerely thank you all for strengthening the Indian and wider communities and fostering social cohesion. Archna Tandon and I wish you all our heartiest greetings to mark the 75th Anniversary of Indian Independence. Jai Hind."
Invercargill
The Indian Community in Southland celebrated Independence Day with the support of the High Commission of India and Invercargill City Council.
The event saw the Indian flag hoisted at the Invercargill City Council office on Esk Street by the Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt, Labour MP Dr Liz Craig, National MP Penny Simmonds, along with the ICS Core committee members.
Despite being a working day, the event had participation from a good number of community members.
Vinay Sood, president of the Indian Community in Southland, addressed the gathering and said, "We owe India our identity and despite being away from the country, we are immensely proud to see the progress India has made and continues to achieve new milestones."
Dunedin
Dunedin’s Indian community celebrated the 76th Indian Independence day on August 15 2022, at the Union Hall of Otago University Dunedin with the support of Arasan NZ Trust. According to Dr. Lux Selvanesan, chairperson of Arasan NZ Trust, this was the first occasion in the last 24 years that a celebration took place to mark the day. Narindervir Singh, Depot Manager Go Bus Transport, alongwith Lucky Singh and Sandeep Kaur who initiated the idea of celebrating in Dunedin.
Tushar Robins- a member of the Dunedin ethnic community, Labor MP Rachel Brooking and Local Councillor Steve Walker were the chief guests at the event and hoisted the Indian flag.
National Anthem was sung after flag hoisting. An emotional connection with India was evident in the cultural performances like traditional dances, songs, and a few speeches from the community members.
The event was attended by more than 150 people who were served light refreshments of Ladoo, samosas, matthi and soft drinks.
Queenstown
The Queenstown chapter of Bhartiya Samaj organised a flag-hoisting event to mark the Indian Independence Day at Lake Hayes Pavillion on August 15. The intimate event saw community members come together against Queenstown's stunning Southern Lakes backdrop.
The event was attended by Queenstown Mayor Jim Boult, and National MP for Southland Joseph Mooney.
Bhartiya Samaj Queenstown chapter head Mangal Behal said, "It was lovely to see so many community members come together and share a sense of pride when the tricolor was hoisted in the picturesque settings of Queenstown."