Skip to content Skip to navigation

Independence Day in Kuwait

Inquisitiveness, curiosity n proudness filled me as I got ready to attend the 62nd Independence Day at Indian Embassy,Kuwait. As we drove to the Embassy at 6.30am to reach and be part of the flag hoisting at 7.10am ,my mind was filled with different thoughts…thoughts of the many Indenpence Day we celebrated in our motherland Assam under the shadow of Assam Bandh . My one year daughter too wake up early that day as if she understood the importance of this special day. As we approach’d the embassy my husband park’d our car atleast 1km from the embassy as there was no space as hundreds of cars were already parked. As we came near the embassy we were pleasantly surprised to see hundreds of Indians from different walks of life and some like me with infants. People had Indian Flags in their hands. I felt so happy and proud when my infant daughter too took a flag and was waving. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat, Mera Bharat Mahan echoed in the air. The “Borah Drummers”, the members are Guajarati Muslims exhibited their talent and skills. Small school children and Doctors community sang patriotic songs. The Indian Ambassador Ajai Malhotra hosted the national tri-colour flag as we all stood there with proudness. He read out the Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh’s message ,the speech which he gave to millions of Indians from the Red Fort .He also read out the various facilities and schemes that the embassy has taken for thousands of Indian workers. After the cultural programme was over ,the Ambassador met the common people and listen to their grievances if any. Deep feeling of proudness enveloped thousands who gathered there to be part of such a celebration. Mughal Mahal, a famous Indian restaurant gave free breakfast (paratha,chola,sweets) to thousands of people who gathered . Free supplements on Independence Day were distributed by The Times(Kuwait’s premier weekly newspaper) and Arab Times(Kuwait’s national daily).


In a foreign country that too in a Middle East Muslim country like Kuwait we celebrated it so much fun, proudness and most importantly without fear, then why not in our motherland Assam??Can’t we be like rest of India and foreign countries in observing our Independence Day???When will such a day come???These thoughts filled my mind as we drove back home.


I remembered Jawaharlal Nehru’s Independence Day speech…. "Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we will redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.... We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again."


Its time for us, all assamese people to defy the Bandh and celebrate it with love, fun and frolic.


by Parimita Barooah Bora, Kuwait

Comments

SKumar's picture

The Ambassador infact read out the President of India's message and not the Prime Minister's. Anyhow thanks to Parimita for sharing her thoughts. We too feel proud like her to be part of the celebrations of our great nation.
Chintu Nath's picture

Pom-ba, it was a great coverage for us to know about how NRIs feel about their country and Independence. We Indians are actually, patriotic by birth; it is in our subconscious to feel great and own about our country. No matter where we live in heart we are always INDIANS, and the whole world today recognizes that.We must always endeavor to do better than before wherever we are, and mere that doing only will take our nation even higher and greater. Vande Mataram.
PriyalakshmiB's picture

Woh!such a gathering.

Pages

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

Medical camp by Assam Rifles

21 Feb 2013 - 1:42pm | Anup Biswas
To provide specialised medical assistance to the villagers of remote villages of Dima Hasao, a Medical Camp was organized under the aegis of Haflong based Assam Rifles Battalion at Chhota Wapu...

Lets unitedly fight against terror and not panic – PM

2 Nov 2008 - 4:34am | Nanda Kirati Dewan
Prime Minister of India Dr. Monmohan Singh while a section of selected media persons at Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) lobby after visiting the blast site at CJM Court Kachari and injured...

Eviction resumes on day 3 in Amchang

29 Nov 2017 - 7:57am | AT News
GUWAHATI:The massive eviction drive resumes in Amchang wildlife sanctuary has resumed for the third consecutive day on Wednesday. A huge team of forest department and district administration has...

Irani slams NE Cong govts

8 Sep 2010 - 12:47pm | editor
BJP leader Smriti Irani has alleged failure of the Congress governments' failure on the law and order front in the North East. Addressing the media in Itanagar on Tuesday she said scams, poor...

Other Contents by Author

In a bid to spread peace and social harmony in BTAD areas, a delegation of senior most journalists visited Bilasipara on Friday as a part of the Goodwill Mission. Led Dr Anupam Kumar Roy, the team comprised 15 editors of the local dailies. The team had a meeting with the Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil), Bilasipara JVN Subramanyam who had apprised them of the initiatives of the administration towards restoring peace and normalcy in the Sub-Division. The delegation also enquired about the status of the health care facilities and relief materials being given to them by the administration. While interacting with the camp inmates the delegation told them to return to their places of residence and...
Life in BTAD areas and Dhubri district is rapidly limping back to normal. The last 48 hours are incident-free where curfew has been temporarily lifted from dawn to dusk. Same it is in Tezpur, Howly and Barpeta Road and Aam Bagan where situation improves gradually. Now the focus shifts to rehabilitation of the displaced people.
The Supreme Court has rushed a special team to assess the situation in BTAD areas and Dhubri district on Friday. Consisting of a group special commissioners the team is on a two days visit to Kokrajhar and Chirang districts where they took stock of the relief measures. The team called on Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in the evening in Dispur who appraised the team of the measures to ensure early rehabilitation of the displaced people.
The issue of the crippling bandh calls on Monday and Tuesday reached the Gauhati High Court which on Friday asks for an affidavit from the government. Taking up a public interest litigation filed by Arun Pathak, a division bench of the court fixed September 29 as the date of hearing of the plea. Pathak, in his PIL has demanded Rs 10 crore from Bajrang Dal and AMSU for causing damage to public property during the band calls on August 27 and 28. The PIL assumes significance a day after Dispur threatened to take action against the bandh calls from one month.
Unable to get back to their homes, many of the people displaced by the floods and the conflict in Assam are staying in overcrowded camps with no access to basic amenities like drinking water and sanitation. Unhygienic conditions and lack of electricity has only made their plight worse. Over 4 lakh people in Assam probably never ever imagined that their lives would one day be like this. For over 40 days, children have not attended school, not eaten proper food and have not moved out of the camp area. While flood affected people continue to stay on “platform” (mound of land) as they call it, conflict impacted people have taken shelter in relief camps. Nearly three and half...
The violence-hit people in BTAD areas would be rehabilitated only after proper verification of relevant documents. This was what a group of ministers decided at a meeting in Dispur on Friday. Chaired by senior minister Prithbi Majhi, the meeting decided to end the identification process by September 6.
Tezpur police have arrested on Friday in connection with the violence during the AMSU-sponsored Assam bandh on Tuesday. They were arrested from Bhujchapori area. They include some a few AMSU leaders and panchayat members who turned violent. They were arrested from Bhujchapori area. They include some a few AMSU leaders and panchayat members who turned violent.
Normalcy is back to BTAD areas. There is no report of any untoward incident in these areas during the last 24 hours. Now the focus shifts to rehabilitation of the displaced people. District administrations in Kokrajhar, Chirang, Bagsa and Dhubri are gearing up to send to refugees back from the camps with required assistance for the process.
Despite deteriorating health, Mahendra Das is firm on fast unto death inside the Jorhat Central Jail. Das, whose fate hangs in balance due to an unfinished death sentence, said on Thursday that he won’t relent. Das, on Wednesday night was rushed the hospital following deteriorated health. But was taken back to the jail when his condition improved on Thursday morning. Das, a resident of Jorhat was convicted in a murder case after he beheaded a person 18 years ago and surrendered before police with the head. President confirmed his death sentence but still it mires in controversy.
A special train is scheduled to leave Guwahati for Bangalore on Saturday to carry the north east people who would be back to Karnataka to resume work.Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Thursday, chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that those who left the southern city, mostly, are keen to go back to their job locations. The train, with 14 sleeper class coaches, will leave Guwahati railway station at 1.15 on Saturday.The train service is being started after the Assam and Karnataka governments asked the railways to help thousands of students and workers who had arrived home from Bangalore, Hyderabad and other southern cities following rumours of a backlash over the ethnic clashes in...