Celebrations to mark the 77th Indian Independence Day (August 15) have continued to resonate across the British Indian diaspora with festive fervour, grand events and much enthusiasm. Starting as early as a few weeks before the actual day, the celebrations are still ongoing with more to come over the weekend and the next few days.
Starting with the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign initiated by Indian Prime Minister Modi, several members from the UK diaspora took to X, formerly Twitter, to change their display pictures to the Indian flag as a mark of celebration.
Indian restaurants around the country held special discounts and offers to commemorate the special day. ‘Bandobust’ announced it will be giving away £1 meals to the first seventy-six customers of the day while ‘Hungaama’ offered an unlimited buffet for just £15 per person. Asha’s Manchester – a branch of one of the most well-known Indian restaurant chains in the UK – also took to social media to wish everyone on the occasion as well as promising a ‘sweet surprise' for diners who attended on the day.
‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ (AKAM) festivities attained its culmination earlier in July with Consul General Dr Shashank Vikram attending the special event. Celebrating Manchester’s burgeoning relationship with India, the event not only saw amazing cultural performances, it also consisted of an interesting AKAM quiz with fascinating facts about India. The Consul General underlined that India is a key market in Manchester's internationalisation strategy as it presents significant opportunities for the city-region was presented at the celebrations on 12 July 2023.
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The Indian Association Manchester (IAM) marked the festive occasion with a spectacular cultural celebration, showcasing the rich heritage and diversity of the Indian community in Manchester through mesmerising cultural performances by local community artists.
Held at Gandhi Hall, the event was also attended by many dignitaries. Graced by esteemed guests like Mr. Pramod Kumar Yadav (Assistant Consulate Officer from the Consulate General of India in Birminghamv), Mr Nripjit Singh Bedi (Ex-Commandant of the Border Security Force), as well as Councillors Vimal Chowksy MBE and Dr. Kaushik Chakraborty.
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A few events celebrating the Independence Day are yet to come in London – be sure to check these out!
The High Commission of India, Malayalee Association of the UK and other Indian organisations are set to hold celebrations at the Navnat Centre in London this weekend. The event will include the flag-hoisting ceremony, cultural programmes by community organisations and an array of food stalls.
As India celebrates AKAM, it can boast of the huge strides it has made in varied fields of life. This ongoing exhibition by the Nehru Centre in London aims at celebrating ‘India – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’, giving a peek through the lens of art into beauty in simplicity India was social and spiritual values it upholds and its forays into the future, with the vision of ‘Vasudeva Kutumbakam (an inclusive planet).’ Although not your traditional celebration of the Indian Independence day, this journey back in time is sure to appeal to those looking for a more contemplative experience.