69th Republic Day was celebrated on January 26th morning at Consulate General of India, Birmingham with patriotic fervor and traditional enthusiasm.

Acting Consul General, Mr. S.M.Chakraborty unfurled the National flag followed by singing of the National Anthem. Address of the Hon’ble President delivered to the nation on eve of the Republic Day was read out by ACG, Mr. S.M. Chakraborty. A brief documentary focusing on places of tourist interest in all the Indian states was screened which was followed by the cultural programme. More than 200 members of the Indian community, local dignitaries, friends of India, members of local diplomatic corps, participated in the celebrations. The dignitaries included Mr. John Crabtree OBE, Lord Lieutenant for West Midlands, Cllr. Anne Underwood, Lord Mayor and her consort, Mr. Phillip Underwood, Mr. Mohammad Rizal Karim, First Secretary of Assistant High Commission of Bangladesh, Birmingham, Mr. Gurprit Bhatia, Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Cllr Mike Robinson, Deputy Mayor of Solihull, Mr. Paul Sabapathy former Lord Lieutenant, Councillor Rashmikant Joshi from Leicester, Mr. Hamid Malik, General Secretary, Federation of Indian Muslim Organisation [FIMO] and several other eminent personalities of British and Indian communities representing different faiths. A special stall displaying pamphlets/standee banners on Tourism in India was set up and relevant tourism related information booklets etc were distributed. The stall evoked considerable interest among those present.

The cultural component comprised of patriotic songs, classical Indian dance, and recitation of Hindi and Urdu poems. Certificates of participation were distributed to all the participants. A special mention was made about the uniqueness of this year’s Republic Day parade which took place earlier in the morning in New Delhi, emphasising the presence of all ten representatives/leaders from the ASEAN countries, who participated as Guests of Honour. Video clip of today’s parade in New Delhi was also screened.