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Address by Ambassador Dr. B. Bala Bhaskar on the 75th Independence Day of India.

Posted on: August 18, 2021 | Back | Print

Remarks by Dr. B. Bala Bhaskar, Ambassador of India to Norway on the occasion of India@75 – Celebrations of 75th Independence Day of India

Mr. Christian Tybring-Gjedde, Member of Parliament,

Mr. Himanshu Gulati, Member of Parliament,

Ladies & gentlemen and our young friends,

It is a great pleasure for me and my colleagues in the Embassy to welcome you all to the celebrations of India@75 – 75th Independence Day of India. It is a historic moment for all of us, as India ushers into the 75th glorious years of her freedom from the colonial rule.

As you are all aware, the Government of India has launched the prestigious project India@75 showcasing ideals of India’s cultural vibrancy and uniqueness of unity in diversity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had formally launched the celebrations of India@75 from the Sabarmati Ashram on 12 March 2021. These will continue till August 2023. Our Embassy in Oslo would be undertaking a number of cultural events marking these historic celebrations.

India-Norway relations have been growing steadily with diversification into several areas. The exchange of high-level visits in the recent past has taken the relations to a higher level. Our green, clean and human centric partnership has an increasing relevance in the contemporary world.

Both countries cooperate in areas such as science & technology, space, health, fisheries, maritime, environment, hydrocarbons, education, culture and local governance. In recent times, the relations are increasingly characterized by innovation and collaboration in high technology areas.

India and Norway became non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council from January this year and this has led to in-depth exchange and convergence of views on issues facing the global community.

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over the United Nations Security Council debate on ‘enhancing Maritime Security: A case for International Cooperation. In more than one ways, this was a historic first. It was the first time that India’s Prime Minister chaired a meeting of the UNSC. By successfully hosting this Presidency Open Debate, India has established its credentials as a responsible actor on the world stage.
It is very heartening to note that the Indian community living in Norway is highly reputed for their stellar contribution in diverse fields such as education, medicine, engineering, software, management, local government etc. The top IT companies from India are present in Norway and they are making seminal contribution to the digital transformation of Norway.

Over 140 Norwegian companies are engaged in India either through joint ventures with Indian partners or through wholly owned subsidiaries in areas such as ship building, petroleum related service, marine/sub-sea drilling equipment, hydropower, clean energy and IT services.

I am sure most of you would have participated in singing of the National Anthem of India, an appeal made by the Prime Minister to sing Jan Gana Mana online. This initiative is also part of celebrations of India@75. I am happy to inform you that a total of 234 persons from Norway have participated in singing of the National Anthem.

I am happy to announce that for the first time, a symphony of Indian and Norwegian instrumental music is developed. I thank the artists for undertaking such a fusion of instrumental music. Due to the pandemic conditions, we were forced to limit the number of invitees to these celebrations. We hope a large number of our friends in Norway are tuned to us online as today’s celebrations are live-steamed for a vast majority of Indian nationals and friends of India who could not join us physically.

In these difficult times, I appeal to each one of you to remain steadfast and take all precautions to safeguard your health. I am sure with everyone’s cooperation, we will soon win over this global pandemic.

I take this opportunity to thank all the participants in this event. I convey my special thanks to Members of Parliament and senior citizens.

A cultural programme follows shortly. Once again, I wish you all a very Happy Independence Day. May India continue to prosper and shine.

Thank you and Jai Hind

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