India marks 75th Independence anniversary   Celebrating the warm and vibrant Indo-Seychelles ties |18 August 2021

Minister Radegonde and HC Suhag propose a toast (Photo: Joena Meme)

The warm and dynamic relationship between India and Seychelles has continued to evolve, underpinned by the understanding between our two peoples that our shared history, culture and geographical proximity have confined, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Sylvestre Radegonde has said.

Minister Radegonde was speaking at a special reception hosted by the high commission of India in Seychelles to commemorate India’s 75th Independence Day anniversary which was on Sunday August 15.

Independence Day is celebrated annually on August 15 as a national holiday in India commemorating the nation's independence from the United Kingdom on August 15, 1947, the day when the provisions of the 1947 Indian Independence Act, which transferred legislative sovereignty to the Indian Constituent Assembly, came into effect.

Held at the Kempinski Seychelles Resort at Baie Lazare and hosted by the Indian high commissioner to Seychelles Dalbir Singh Suhag, the ceremony was attended by President Wavel Ramkalawan and First Lady Linda Ramkalawan, Vice-President Ahmed Afif, Chief Justice Ronny Govinden, cabinet ministers, members of the diplomatic Corps among other guests.

Minister Radegonde said over the years since her independence, the world has witnessed the transformation of India to the global power it is today and that August 15 marks a milestone that commemorates the historical struggle of India to reach today’s pinnacle of success.

He said at the moment in its history, India is charting a new way forward, a new path towards a more innovative, efficient and sustainable future.

This ambitious and inclusive strategy, he said, is one that will yield positive returns for the current generation and many more to come.

In terms of the two countries’ bilateral relationship, Minister Radegonde said it is one that flourished over the years, resulting into a dynamic programme of cooperation in numerous spheres and sectors.

“We also share commonality of views and interests on many issues, including our advocacy for the environment and mitigation of the effects of climate change, peace and security, democracy and human rights, as well as the reform of multilateral institutions,” noted Minister Radegonde, who further added that in this year of commemoration to mark India’s rebirth as a nation 75 years ago, the first ever virtual summit between President Wavel Ramkalawan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was held.

This, Minister Radegonde said, was the opportunity for our two leaders to inaugurate the new Magistrate Court and for PM Modi to formally hand over the fast patrol vessel Zoroaster, while it also saw the inauguration of 10 completed projects under the Health Impact Community Development Projects, as well as a one megawatt solar panel on Romainville Island.

He described the projects as concrete manifestation of India’s solidarity and generosity towards Seychelles, while they also underscore the country’s human-centric approach to development cooperation.

On behalf of the Seychelles’ government and people, Minister Radegonde expressed deep gratitude to the Indian government and High Commissioner Suhag for all their support and solidarity.

To conclude, Minister Radegonde noted that as we celebrate those important milestones in our history, it is his hoped that our two countries continue to work together to further enrich and diversify our cooperation.

In his address, High Commissioner Suhag said  today, India is a proud nation of over 1.35 billion people and a major global player in almost every field of human activity while remaining steadfast to the values that bind the nation.

He said over the last 74 years, India has made many great strides in ensuring the economic and social wellbeing of its people and contributed to global peace, security and prosperity.

High Commissioner Suhag noted that the country’s most notable achievement is the preservation of the democracy, the individual freedoms enshrined in its Constitution, the equality of opportunity to every Indian citizen, the independence of the judiciary and truly secular character of the Indian nation.

He explained that to look and celebrate its journey towards democracy, development, prosperity, and towards becoming a stable nation in the last 74 years, the government of India has launched the India@75 celebration – Azadi Ka Amrit Mahostav – and noted that under that umbrella, India will organise a series of cultural activities and competitions up to August 15, 2023.

This, he said, will showcase the strong cultural and people-to-people ties between the two nations.

High Commissioner Suhag also added that today, both countries are working closely in bilateral, regional and international forums on a variety of issues such as piracy, international terrorism, illegal and unauthorised fishing, drug trafficking, human trafficking and other white collar maritime crimes such as tax evasion which are posing constant challenges to the sovereignty and territorial  integrity of nations.

A flag hoisting ceremony was also held on Saturday to commemorate the event.

Independence Day also coincided with the partition of India, in which British India was divided along religious lines into the Dominions of India and Pakistan; the partition was accompanied by violent riots with mass casualties and the displacement of nearly 15 million people due to religious violence.

On August 15, 1947, the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, raised the Indian national flag above the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi.

On each subsequent Independence Day, the incumbent Prime Minister customarily raises the flag and gives an address to the nation.

Roland Duval