Indian Embassy in Kathmandu celebrates 76th Republic Day with special ceremony

KATHMANDU: The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu celebrated the 76th Republic Day on Sunday with a special ceremony. 

Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, inaugurated the event by unfurling the Indian national flag within the embassy premises.

In his address, Ambassador Srivastava remarked, "India embarked on its journey as a Republic 75 years ago. In this journey of 75 years, India has made unprecedented progress, and it has only been possible after sacrifice. Republic Day is an occasion when we can pay tribute and homage to the founders of our nation, their contributions, and take inspiration from them. Our social, political system has been formulated keeping in mind the need to integrate people from all backgrounds, opening the way to take them forward together."

The ceremony was attended by hundreds of Indian nationals residing in Nepal. The address by Indian President Droupadi Murmu was screened for the attendees.

Following the address, Ambassador Srivastava distributed books to various educational institutions in Nepal. Additionally, insurance amounts were handed over to the next-of-kin of fallen Gurkha soldiers who served in duty.

The celebrations featured renditions of patriotic songs, and students from Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre of the Embassy and Kendriya Vidyalaya School, Kathmandu, performed cultural programmes.

Earlier in the morning, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba took to Twitter to extend their wishes on the occasion of India's 76th Republic Day.

Prime Minister Oli tweeted, "On the occasion of 76th #RepublicDay of India, I extend my warmest congratulations to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the people of India. May the ideals of democracy and national unity flourish evermore, fostering deeper ties of friendship between our two nations."

Foreign Minister Deuba also extended her wishes, tweeting, "Warmest congratulations, Your Excellency @DrSJaishankar, on the 76th Republic Day of India! On this joyous occasion, I extend my best wishes to the people and Government of India for continued progress, prosperity, and advancement. As close neighbours, we value the strong bond of friendship and close relations nurtured through centuries of shared history, mutual respect, and collaboration across various fields. We will continue to further reinforce these relations in the years to come."