Independence Day celebrated in US

Washington, Aug 15 (UNI) Indian Ambassador to US Ronen Sen today unfurled the Indian tricolor to mark the 60th India Independence Day celebrations.

Amid the singing of patriotic songs by children of the Embassy staff a colorful gathering of about 300 Indian immigrants, Indian nationals and friends of India, participated in the event as the national anthem ''Jana Gana Mana'' was played, it touched the hearts of all those present, evoking a powerful sense of belonging as well as nostalgia for the land they had left behind but could never forget.

Mr Sen read out President A P J Kalam's address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day, which reminded the nation about the scourge of terrorism and the need to fight it.

The ambassador also gave away awards to children of the Embassy staff who had done well academically. This was followed by a cultural programme, which featured eminent artists from India -- Shevanti Sanyal and Rajinder Kachroo -- who entertained the guests with light classical music.

Meanwhile, several Indian American associations stretching from New York to Seattle to California and New Jersey to Austin, Texas had drawn up elaborate plans for the weekend to celebrate the day as ''India Day'' with parades, cultural shows and food bazaars offering authentic Indian cuisine.

It is a time for the Indian immigrants to showcase their culture and heritage by displaying the Indian tricolor with pride. The biggest gathering was at Oak Tree Road, in Iselin, New Jersey which has a sizeable Indian American population. The orange, white and green tricolor flew high over the area where nearly 10,000 spectators celebrated Indian Independence Day.

However, Atul Khara, president India Association of North Texas, said the day would be observed on Saturday.

''Here, we celebrate by holding Anand Bazaar, which literally means a 'fun fair,' and we use it as a means to bring our culture to the younger generation.

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