Bharat Mata

Canberra

Representing our motherland in our new home R esponding to an invitation from the High Commissioner’s office, a group of retired service officers made a trip from Sydney to Canberra to attend the Independence Day celebrations. Apart from the fabulous weather, the great drive and very engaging company, the day is one to remember.

The ceremony was held at the Commonwealth Club in Canberra and the guests were received by the High Commissioner Mr. Biren Nanda and his wife and other members of his office.

The atmosphere was electric and there was excitement in the air. It was great to see the Indian officers mingle with their serving counterparts from the Australian defence forces. As finger food and soft drinks were served, guests from the two countries mingled with each other sharing their thoughts and views.

Then it was time for the official ceremony. A toast was raised to the President of India which was followed by the Indian national anthem. A toast was then raised to the Queen and this was followed by the Australian national anthem. The true essence of being an Indian Australian dawned on me as I sang both the anthems with equal fervour and pride. The High Commissioner Mr. Nanda addressed the August gathering which included the chief guest Senator Lisa Singh and Andrew Leigh representing Foreign Minister Bob Carr. In his speech Mr. Nanda spoke about the bilateral ties between Indian and Australia and how the visit of former Prime Minister, Julia Gillard to India helped improve and tighten these ties as it opened a ‘new chapter’ in the Indo-Australian relationships. He also spoke about Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s visit in 2009 that prompted the growth of relations between India and Australia in the fields of education and trade. He hoped that these relations would continue to grow and strengthen as ministers from both the countries continued to visit each other.

Senator Lisa Singh quoted lines from Nehru’s famous ‘tryst with destiny’ speech as she spoke about her Indian connections.

She articulated that the IndoAustralian relations were strong, healthy and ever-growing. She spoke about the large number of Indian students studying in Australian universities and about the formal agreements between Australian and Indian universities, including student exchange, staff exchange and academic research. She also spoke about the Australia India Institute established in the University of Melbourne which has helped enhance the understanding and cooperation between the two countries. The senator’s speech was inspiring and delivered a strong message of continued friendship.

In his speech, Andrew

Leigh spoke about his Indian connections, his visits to India and the vibrancy of the Indian nation. He spoke about the interesting Indian politics and was amazed at the way elections were held and offices formed in the largest democracy in the world. His speech was very refreshing and laced with humour.

As the ceremony concluded the feeling was one of exuberance and pride of being Indian Australian. As Indian Australians we make positive contributions to the fabric of the community that we are currently a part of. It is the Indians in Australia who create and build platforms for better ties between the two countries. We are the representatives of our motherland in this adopted