Sri Lanka India Society held their 70th Indian Independence Day celebrations amidst a distinguished gathering of invitees at Taj Samudra on 19 August. Hon. Minister of Special Assignments Dr. Sarath Amunugama was the Chief Guest, while the Guest of Honour was H.E Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the High Commissioner for India in Sri Lanka. Suboroto Bagchi, world renowned business author and much-admired entrepreneur who co-founded Mindtree, a $ 500 million global IT service company with over 15,000 employees, was the Keynote Speaker.

President of Sri Lanka India Society Mr T S Prakash welcomed the dignitaries and gave a brief overview of activities of the Society. In his speech, Dr Sarath Amunugama recalled the deep ties of cultural heritage shared commonly by the two countries. Dr Amunugama highlighted the similarities between the two national anthems, and the connection with Rabindranath Tagore. He narrated many interesting anecdotes that signified the strong relationship between India and Sri Lanka.

Addressing the audience, High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu said that the India of 2017 was very different from India a decade ago; with 50% of its population under 25 years, India is unleashing the forces of innovation, enterprise and growth. He also stressed upon the close links between the two countries in recent history with momentous visit of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Chief Guest for International Day of Vesak. High Commissioner elaborated on initiatives undertaken in economic and political spheres, including humanitarian assistance during recent floods. High Commissioner highlighted that India’s development assistance of over US$ 2.6 billion reflects the commitment Prime Minister Modi has towards our closest neighbour - Sri Lanka. He encouraged citizens of both countries to work together in harmony, quoting Mahatma Gandhi

In his keynote address, Subroto Bagchi outlined the exceptional leadership qualities displayed by historic figures such as Moses, William Wallace and Mahatma Gandhi throughout the centuries, harping on the relevance of such qualities in the 21st century as well.

Cultural performances added colour to the event. Ever since its inception, Sri Lanka India Society has played a stellar role in building greater harmony and unity between Sri Lankan and Indian people.

Colombo
23 August 2017.