By Joseph Varghese/Staff Reporter

Indians in Qatar celebrated the 69th Independence Day of their country with pomp and jubilation. The Indian national flag was hoisted at the offices of Indian organisations and various Indian schools in the country in the morning.

At the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), the celebrations were led by Indian Ambassador Sanjiv Arora who raised the national flag amid the chanting of the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana…’. Arora addressed the gathering at the Ashoka Hall of the ICC and conveyed Independence Day greetings to all the Indian citizens in Qatar.

Later, the ambassador read out the Independence Day message from the President of India.

Reading from the message he said: “Our country’s rise will be measured by the strength of our values, but it will be determined by the economic growth and equitable distribution of the nation’s resources. Our economy promises much hope for the future.The new chapters of the ‘India Story’ are waiting to be written. Our policies must be geared to meet the ‘Zero Hunger’ challenge in a foreseeable future.”

The message also urged the people to uphold the idealism of the past and the quality of the educational institutions highlighting the need for humility and devotion in the education system. It added: “India is a complex country of 1.3bn people, 122 languages, 1,600 dialects and seven religions. Its strength lies in its unique capacity to blend apparent contradictions into positive affirmations.”

The message was followed by singing of patriotic songs by the students of Indian schools. Embassy officials, office-bearers of Indian organisations and a large number of the community members took part in the event.

All the Indian schools in the country also held separate functions on their premises to mark the day . A group of bike riders displaying the Indian flag also joined the event.