Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav is an embodiment of all that is progressive about India’s socio-cultural, political and economic identity

India is celebrating ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, commemorating 75 years of progressive India and glorious history of its people, culture and their achievements in the 75 weeks up to Independence Day 2023.

This Mahotsav is dedicated to the people of India who have not only been instrumental in bringing India thus far in its’ evolutionary journey but also hold within them the power and potential to enable Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of activating India 2.0, fuelled by the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav is an embodiment of all that is progressive about India’s socio-cultural, political and economic identity.

Indian missions abroad are marking the ‘Azadi Ka Amri Mahotsav’ launched by PM Modi on March 12 last year with donation drives, competitions, lectures, promotional events, workshops, rallies, development activities, capacity building programmes among other activities.

Welfare activities

A tweet by the Indian High Commission in Maldives on Saturday said a blood donation camp was organized in collaboration with Maldivian Blood Services as part of India’s Republic Day Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.

Maldivian Health Minister Ahmed Naseem and Indian Ambassador to Maldives Munu Mahawar were present at Saturday’s inauguration, said the Twitter post adding that Maldivian friends and Indian volunteers participated in the camp with enthusiasm.

Kick-starting the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahatsov in March last year, the Indian High Commission in Tanzania had organised workshops from March 17 to 20, 2021 for Tanzanian medical professionals at the Muhimbili National Hospital and the Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam.

The workshop that covered various topics under Airway Management was conducted by Dr Jyotsna Punj and Dr Ravinder Kumar Pandey, Professors in the Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine and Critical Care of AIIMS.

Highlighting India’s contributions in different sectors

While blood donation drives and capacity building programmes for medical practitioners were opportune in pandemic year, events were also organised to mark Indian achievements in space and its contribution to talent and innovation in the past 75 years.

The Permanent Mission of India to UN in Geneva, Switzerland had organized a Virtual event titled ‘Space Programme of India@75’ in April 2021, highlighting the journey and the progress India has made since Independence in the field of space.

ISRO Chairman K Sivan delivered the keynote address in the event that also focussed on future plans of India and the potential India holds in the field of space.

In July last year, the Indian High Commission in Australia and Indian School of Business co-presented a virtual Talent and Innovation round table in Canberra to showcase India’s talent and its role in innovation in past 75 years of India’s Independence.

As part of #AmritMahotsav, India in Togo in partnership with Electronics and Software Export Promotion Council held a virtual business meet on December 14 between Indian and Togolese industry in the ICT sector. Participants discussed collaborative opportunities in the software service industry sector.

Promoting age-old traditions

Promoting Indian cuisine, Khadi and fitness and wellness regimes such as Yoga and Ayurveda were some of the recurrent themes of programmes as part of 75-week long celebrations connected with Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

The Indian High Commission in Uganda organized a two-day Exhibition of Khadi on 29-30 July 2021.

To promote Indian cuisine in the Central Asian Republic of Turkmenistan, the Indian Embassy in Turkmenistan had organised an Indian Cooking Competition on August 6, 2021.

Ambassador of India to Venezuela Abhishek Singh addressed a gathering in Maracay on the importance of Yoga and Ayurveda. He also briefed about initiatives of the Embassy in this context and about the increased popularity of Yoga and Ayurveda in Venezuela.

Friendship with countries

The Azadi Ka Amrit Mahatsov celebrations were also organised in tandem with other occasions and marking bilateral events such as those to held to commemorative events to mark the #GandhiJayanti and the ongoing 75th anniversary year of India’s Independence and the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Vietnam.

Ambassador Pranay Verma visited Yen Bai province for a Tree Planting Ceremony on 2nd October 2021. Ambassador Verma described the tree plantation as a symbol of India-Vietnam friendship for generations to witness and a mark of collaboration between the two countries for protection of environment.

Similarly, in November last year, Indian ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Nepal’s Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prem Bahadur Ale flagged off the ‘Pashupatinath-Kashi Vishwanath Amrit Mahotsav Motorcycle Rally’.

The rally aimed at showcasing the profound and timeless people-to-people connect between India and Nepal and further strengthen mutual cultural relations was organized by the Nepal-based Indian embassy in collaboration with Royal Enfield Kathmandu as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.