New Delhi: Commemorating India’s 79th Independence Day, Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu, while addressing the gathering of Indian diaspora members during the 43rd India Day Parade celebrations organised jointly by Federation of Indian Association (FIA) and Indian Consulate at New York City in USA, urged the community members to remember the sacrifices of martyrs and unsung heroes of the freedom struggle. He lauded the Indian diaspora for keeping the spirit of patriotism alive in their hearts despite being thousands of miles away from their janmabhoomi (motherland) while continue to live in their karmabhoomi (land of work). “Today India is growing by leaps and bounds and proudly stands as the 4th largest economy of the world. From being a nation once shackled by poverty for decades, more than 25 crore Indians have been freed from the clutches of poverty in the last few years alone,” said MP Sandhu.
The India Day Parade was attended by several dignitaries, including Congressperson Thanedar, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Sam Joshi, Mayor of Edison, Hemant Marathe, Mayor of West Windsor, Member of Parliament Satnam Singh Sandhu, Ambassador Binaya S Pradhan, Consul General of India in New York, Vishal Jayeshbhai Harsh, Deputy Consul General of India, New York, Ankur Vaidya, Chairman Federation of Indian Associations and Jennifer Rajkumar, Member of the New York State Assembly among other leading businessmen were present on the occasion. Indian Actors Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda also graced the occasion as Grand Marshals on the India Day Parade event here in New York City.
Meanwhile, thousands of Indian Americans flooded the streets of New York to celebrate India’s 79th Independence Day at the annual India Day Parade which is one of the largest such celebrations outside India. The echoes of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ reverberated across the streets of New York, as the cavalcade of Indian diaspora members marched proudly with the Tricolour in their hands, raising spirited chants of Vande Mataram, Satyamev Jayate and Jai Hind. The sight of the Indian National Flag fluttering gracefully from every nook and crony transformed the city into a vibrant reflection of India’s unity, pride and patriotic fervor. The diaspora member also played patriotic songs, people carried Indian flags and were seen playing dhols and dancing as they participated in the parade.
MP Satnam Sandhu added, “India is growing every single day, today we have one of the largest digital ecosystems in the world. Today, even a vegetable vendor on the street accepting digital payment has become a symbol of our digital revolution. When the world was battling one of the worst crises in human history in form of COVID-19, Bharat was not restricted its borders, but it ventured beyond to help many nations in the world by providing vaccines.
As our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi always talk about the immense contributions of more than 35 million Indian diaspora members in enhancing the influence of India’s Soft Power across the world, the Indian diaspora members in America has also made tremendous contributions to that effect. From the beginning itself, we have always shared strong and cordial ties with America and Indian diaspora here have played a significant role in nurturing and strengthening those ties and we need to maintain those ties in future as well. We have had a long association with USA, infact the seeds of our freedom struggle were sown here through the efforts of the Gadar Party and sacrifices made during Komagata Maru incident.”
In a post on X, the Consulate wrote, “Celebrating the 79th Independence Day at the India Day Parade in New York, the largest parade celebration outside India. We extend our sincere thanks to Congressman Shri Thanedar, Mayor Eric Adams, and Member of Parliament Shri Satnam Singh Sandhu, along with other dignitaries, for joining the celebrations. A special thanks to the Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-NE for organising the 43rd India Day Parade with such grandeur and enthusiasm.”
Meanwhile, The Indian Consulate in New York also expressed its gratitude to Massachusetts Governor Maura T Healey for proclaiming August 15 as India Day in the state. The Consulate said that the decision honored the Indian American community.
In a post on X, the Consulate said, “Indian Consulate in New York expresses its gratitude to Governor Maura T. Healey for proclaiming August 15 as India Day in Massachusetts. This gracious recognition honors the Indian American community and further deepens the bonds of friendship between India and the United States.”
To mark the India Day Parade celebrations, the Consulate General of India in New York showcased a float themed ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’, reflecting India’s vision of becoming a developed nation by the centenary of its independence. The float at display highlighted India’s significant strides made in infrastructure, technology and digital transformation.
Adding to the festivities, the day also marked Shri Krishna Janmashtami, celebrated by ISKCON New York by organizing a Rath Yatra which was attended by hundreds of devotees.
It’s responsibility of every Diaspora member to ensure the bridge between India and US becomes shorter and shorter, says Ankur Vaidya, Chairman of Federation of Indian Associations
Ankur Vaidya, Chairman of the Federation of Indian Associations, said the parade represents India’s diversity. “It’s a proud moment to be here with our fellow community members. A large diaspora has turned up for the celebrations. We appreciate and support the effort and trust that the community has put on the shoulders of the FIA for the last 43 years to ensure that this event gets better and better… India is about to become the third largest economy in the world, so it is the responsibility of every diaspora member to ensure that the bridge between the two countries becomes shorter and shorter,” he said.
We expressed our tremendous gratitude and respect towards our freedom fighters, says Raj Bayani, President, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin
Dr Raj Bhayani, President, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin Queens Long Island, said, “It’s my pleasure and honor to be part of this historic event to celebrate 79th Independence Day of India. This event has been a grand success. Overall, the mood is very jubilant and celebratory. At the same time, tremendous gratitude and respect were expressed by everyone towards our freedom fighters. As we honor the past, celebrate the present and build the future, let’s all say Vande Matram and Jai Hind,”.
We will continue to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day with Indian American Diaspora, says Naveen Shah, Chief Executive Officer at Navika group of companies
Naveen Shah, Chief Executive Officer at Navika group of companies, said, “I thought about celebrating the 79th Independence Day of India, and at the same time, the thought of celebrating India’s birthday also came to my mind. We celebrate the birthdays of our friends, family members, and peers, but we have never seen a celebration for our nation, the land we come from. Therefore, the idea of celebrating our nation’s birthday came to my mind, and I take pride in having initiated this, which was experienced by our guests in the United States, making it the most successful event. I hope that every year we will continue to celebrate this event in the same way and keep inviting the Indian Diaspora residing in America to celebrate in the future,”.
The Indian community and India are our priority: Neha Bhansali, Capital Management Director, Navika Group of Companies
Neha Bhansali, Capital Management Director of Navika Group of Companies, said, “This event was a very beautiful idea, wanted to do something for the country. Everyone worked hard for this, resulting in a positive outcome today. Although we are a private company, the community and India are our priority. We hope to bring more such programs for the community.”
We salute our martyrs who have sacrificed their lives for India, says Madhu Pareek. Senior VP, Hotel Operations at Blue Sky Hospitality Solutions
Expressing happiness for being part of the Independence Day celebrations in the US, Madhu Pareek. Senior VP, Hotel Operations at Blue Sky Hospitality Solutions said, “As we celebrate India’s 79th Independence Day, we salute our martyrs who have sacrificed their lives for India.”