Naveed Ahmed Khan
Islamabad: The High Commission of India in Pakistan marked the 77th Republic Day on Monday with a reception held at a local hotel. Chargé d’Affaires Geetika Srivastava and her team warmly received the guests. Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Turkmenistan, Atadjan Movlamov, was the guest of honour.
The reception was attended by Ambassadors and High Commissioners, including those from SAARC countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the Maldives. United Kingdom High Commissioner Jane Marriott, Ambassador of France H.E. Nicolas Galey, and Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Ina Lepel were also present on the occasion. A large number of guests from various walks of life, including members of the local Indian community, Pakistani officials, media representatives, and business figures, attended the reception.
HC Geetika Srivastava invited the heads of mission of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries, including the Bangladesh High Commissioner, Md. Iqbal Hussain Khan, Ambassador Ms. Rita Dhital of Nepal, High Commissioner of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to Pakistan, Rear Admiral Fred Senevirathne (Rtd.), and Maldives High Commission representative Aishath Yasmeen, along with Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Turkmenistan Atadjan Movlamov, to join her on the stage and participate in the cake-cutting ceremony. The national anthems of India and Pakistan were also played on the occasion.
Earlier, while presenting a brief background of Republic Day, a young official of the Indian High Commission stated that on January 26, 1950, the Constitution of India, adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949, came into force.
The day marked India’s emergence as a sovereign democratic republic. Since January 26, 1950, the anniversary of the Constitution’s commencement has been celebrated annually, and, in the speaker’s words, its preamble begins with the line “We the people of India,” signifying that all power rests with the people who elect their representatives to govern on their behalf. After the brief presentation, guests were served traditional Indian cuisine, including daal (pulses), vegetable and mutton dishes, and world-famous sweets.
Republic Day, observed annually on January 26, commemorates the adoption of India’s Constitution in 1950, formally establishing the country as a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic. The day holds immense historical significance as it symbolizes the culmination of India’s long struggle for independence and the establishment of constitutional governance based on justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity. While independence on August 15, 1947, ended colonial rule, it was the adoption of the Constitution that completed India’s transition to self-governance, founded on the rule of law, institutional accountability, and the will of the Indian people.
