Indian community celebrates independence

By LUKE KAMA
THE Indian community living in the country celebrated their country’s 70th Independence anniversary at the Indian High Commission in Port Moresby.
Indian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea Nagendra Saxena said independence was a
time where every Indian citizen
living around the world respectfully bowed to the heroes who struggled for the country’s independence.
“It’s a time to respect, honour and pay our greatest tribute to the heroes of our independence struggle,” he said.
“We remember and honour the sacrifice of both known and unknown heroes who fought, suffered and wilfully shed their lives to win freedom for us.”
He said when India gained independence in 1947, nobody believed that the country would survive as a democratic nation.
“Yet seven decades later, 1.5 billion Indians with all their diversity have proved those forecast wrong,” he said.
“Today, India is a strong democratic nation that continues to grow and extend its bilateral relations with other countries including a strong bilateral relationship with Papua New Guinea.”
Governor for West New Britain Sasindran Muthuvel attended the celebrations.