INDIANS CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH SONGS, DANCING AND CEREMONY
▶ Residents queue to watch morning flag-raising ceremony as UAE leaders send congratulations to New Delhi
Indians of all ages and backgrounds gathered in Dubai on Thursday to celebrate their country’s independence day.
By 8am a queue had formed at the Consulate General of India in the emirate, eager to join the celebrations. Some wore orange and green bindis, or flags draped over their shoulders. Others wore suits or hospital scrubs, ready to go to work.
Guests were treated to live singing before the white, green and saffron Indian flag was unfurled at 9am, as rose and marigold petals rained down on the crowd below.
India’s independence day is celebrated on August 15 and marks the end of British colonial rule in 1947.
“Independence was not easy,” said Kiran Wagh, a banker from the city of Nashik in the western Indian state of Maharashtra and who was among the crowd in Dubai.
“Our forefathers sacrificed a lot for our country, so we should respect them. Here in the UAE it’s a small celebration, but in India everyone is celebrating.”
Mr Wagh said he planned to watch patriotic movies with his family after he finished work.
He said some of his earliest memories were of celebrating Independence day with his father. The banker said that he wanted to make sure his own son also had fond memories to look back on.
“My child is a year old but he’s at home sleeping. Once he grows up, I’ll bring him to the flag raising,” he said.
Rochelle Pereira came with friends and her daughter, 5, to watch the flag ceremony.
“Right from the time you’re in school this is something you would do, so when you grow up you do the flag raising.
“It’s a simple thing but it has a lot of feeling,” said Ms Pereira, 34, who is from Mumbai and has lived in the UAE for eight years.
“My daughter’s been in the UAE since she was born so she sings Ishy Bilady. I’m trying to get her to learn about our national day.”
Ms Pereira said she and her family planned to go to church in the evening for the Feast of the Assumption, which Catholics hold to commemorate the ascension of the Virgin Mary into heaven.
The Hindu festival Raksha Bandhan also falls on Independence day this year and celebrates sibling relationships.
The President, Sheikh Khalifa, sent a congratulatory message to Ram Nath Kovind, the President of India, while Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, also sent their congratulations to President Kovind and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India’s independence day has
special significance for overseas citizens, Dubai resident Dhanush Acharya said.
“When you’re away from your place, you actually know the importance of it,” said Mr Acharya, 30.
But the centuries-old ties between South Asia and the Middle East mean the UAE can be a home from home.
Ashish Singh, a friend of Mr Acharya, said he did not experience a culture shock when he moved from Delhi to Dubai a few years ago.
“Every type of Indian food you want is here; the people around you are Indian – you don’t feel like you are outside India,” said Mr Singh, a blockchain consultant.
He said he would celebrate all day long.
“Lunch for the office is on me today,” he said.
“Yesterday was Pakistan’s independence day and they did the same for us.”
Mr Acharya smiled. “That’s the advantage of Dubai. We celebrate together,” he said.