Beijing/Islamabad: Indians across the globe on Thursday donned patriotic colours as they celebrated the country`s 67th Independence Day, unfurling the national flag and organising cultural events to mark the occasion.
India`s Ambassador to China S Jaishankar hoisted the tri-colour at the Embassy premises in Beijing to celebrate the Independence Day. A large gathering of Indian expatriates working in Beijing attended the ceremony.
Jaishankar read out President Pranab Mukharjee`s national address and later hosted a reception on the occasion.
The national tri-colour also fluttered proudly across southeast Asia, as Indians and friends of India thronged to witness the unfurling of the flag by Indian envoys in the region to mark India`s 67th Independence Day.
In the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, Consul General K Nagaraj Naidu hoisted the tricolour and read the President`s address to the nation at the Indian Consulate.
The ceremony was attended by a cross-section of the local Indian community, including Indian students, a Consulate statement said.
In Islamabad, Indian High Commissioner T C A Raghavan unfurled the national flag.
Raghavan, who arrived in Pakistan last month, read out the President`s address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day to a gathering at the High Commission.
The children and wives of the mission`s staff performed patriotic songs. Gifts were later distributed among the children.
Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Y K Sinha, also unfurled the national flag at the embassy in Colombo.
He highlighted the growing economic and commercial partnership between India and Sri Lanka and noted that since the operationalisation of bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 2000, trade has multiplied by as much as 8 times.
In Bangkok, India`s ambassador to Thailand Anil Wadhwa unfurled the flag and read out the President`s speech.
School children sang patriotic songs while 14 dancers from Arunachal Pradesh`s Tawang district performed the Snow Lion dance much to the delight of hundreds of Indians present at the Embassy.
In Israel, some 300 Indians gathered to celebrate the Independence day in Herzliya with Ambassador Jaideep Sarkar applauding the role of the Indian Jewish community in strengthening bilateral ties.
For the first time people of all four Indian Jewish communities - Bene Israel, Cochinis, Baghdadis and the Bnei Menashe actively participated in the Independence day festivities.
A group of women from the Bnei Menashe community also performed the famous bamboo dance to the delight of assembled gathering. Indian contingent at UNDOF enthralled those present with a bhangra performance.
Indian national day in Russia commenced with the unfurling of the national flag by Ajai Malhotra, Indian Ambassador in Moscow.
The Ambassador read out the Address to the Nation by the President and then briefly addressed the gathering.
He congratulated the members of the Indian community in Russia and thanked the many Russians who had conveyed good wishes on India`s Independence Day.
This was followed by the singing of patriotic songs by children from the Embassy of India School, Moscow. Besides friends of India, nearly 500 members of the Indian community in Moscow took part in the function.
The tri-colour was also unfurled by Indian envoys in neighbouring Myanmar, Singapore, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam.
In Tokyo, India`s Ambassador to Japan Deepa Wadhwa unfurled the national flag.
About 300 Indians and friends of India attended the function. Patriotic songs were sung by school children from two Indian schools in Tokyo.
In Singapore, India`s High Commissioner Vijay Thakur Singh led more than 500-strong Indian community in celebrating the Independence Day.
Singh read out the President`s message which was followed by three hours of cultural performances and singing of patriotic songs.
Students from Indian schools in Singapore also performed during the cultural events.
Singh hosted a morning reception for the Indian community and businessmen in Singapore.
In Australia, Indian diaspora celebrated the 67th Independence Day by organising flag hoisting ceremonies across the country followed by gala dinners and events.
Speaking on the occasion, India`s High Commissioner to Australia Biren Nanda extended greetings to Indian nationals and persons of Indian origin in the country.
Indian government is organising Regional Pravasi Diwas this year in Sydney which is expected to be attended by over 1000 participants across the region.
PTI
