A friendship with India which has got stronger
THE Indian ambassador paid a visit to Sligo last Friday where he met with the local Indian community and was also feted at City Hall by.
Ambassador Sandeep Kumar met with the Sligo Indian community at the Radisson Blu hotel on Friday evening having earlier been accorded a civic reception at City Hall by Mayor of Sligo Municipal District, Cllr ROsaleen O’Grady.
He also paid a visit to Sligo Chamber of Commerce and Sligo IT earlier in the day.
Mayor O’ Grady in her address, said the Ambassador’s visit “provides a welcome opportunity to promote and enhance the close friendship between this Council and our good friends in the local Indian Association.
“This friendship has grown and evolved at many levels over the years, and the local community has taken an active involvement in local cultural, artistic, sporting and community events.
“Similarly, Anirban and his colleagues in the Indian Association have been exemplary and generous hosts in inviting Council . Members to events and activities they host throughout the year.
“This interaction is invaluable in the context of our vibrant, multi-cultural community, and I firmly believe that by exploring and understanding other cultures, we gain a fuller appreciation of our own.
“This evening we are hosting the launch of the National Football Exhibition here in City Hall. Part of the display is devoted to our own Sligo Rovers, and the history of the club is closely linked with our Indian community.
“This connection that had its origins when Johnny Chadda and his wife Usha came to Sligo from his native India in 1953, he would go one to become one of the most dedicated, loyal and revered figures in the history of Sligo Rovers.
“Indeed, one of the highlights of Johnny’s time on the management committee of the club was the visit of the Indian Ambassador to Ireland, his Excellency R K Tandon, who was Johnny’s guest here at a game in April 1967.
“Johnny’s memory and legacy will always be cherished by his many friends in Sligo and especially Sligo Rovers.
“Another important connection between Sligo and India was referenced by the Indian Ambassador all those years ago. At a civic reception hosted in Sligo City Hall, the Ambassador spoke of the friendship between WB Yeats and India’s national poet, Tagore.
“Today, we have a monument has of Tagore in Wine Street, which was a special gift from the Government of India, and the dedication ceremony involved a beautiful reflection on the close association and creative partnership between our respective national poets.
“The monument is a permanent testament to the generosity of the Indian Government, it symbolises our strong cultural links between our counties.”