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Indian Independence Day in UAE: 92-year-old man recalls first day of celebration, says 'no place like Mother India'

As colourful celebrations took place, an elderly man sat in the corner watching events unfold

Published: Tue 15 Aug 2023, 11:53 AM

Updated: Tue 15 Aug 2023, 3:48 PM

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As the colourful programmes of the Indian independence day unfolded at the Consulate General of India (CGI), one guest sat at the corner of the hall with just a hint of smile on his lips.

For 92-year-old Ramanamurthy, every Independence Day celebration brings back memories of the day India gained independence. “I was a young teenager and a group of us boys raced to watch the flag being hoisted,” he recalled, speaking to Khaleej Times. “It was the best feeling in the world.”

Ramanamurthy has never missed a single Independence Day celebration since then. “I really enjoyed the songs and dance performances here,” he said. “But it doesn’t feel like the same when in India. There is no place like Bharat Mata (Mother India).”

Ramanamurthy, who is visiting the UAE for the second time, was in Dubai to visit his daughter and son-in-law. “He is very patriotic and will make sure he celebrates important days for India wherever he is,” said his son-in-law, Ravi. “Even today, he is the reason we came here. He was pushing us all to come.“

According to Ravi, this is the second time he has been to the consulate office. “The first time was when my father-in-law visited us four or five years ago,” he said. “That was in January, and we had come so he could attend the Republic Day celebrations.”

Accompanying them were their family friend Murali and his teenage son Pranav. “He reminded us last night as well to wake up early so we could get here in time,” said Murali. “His patriotic fervour got us excited as well.”

Colourful celebrations

Patriotic songs, dance performances and displays of the Indian martial arts Kalaripayattu were some of the programs staged at the consulate.

Events kicked off at 8am with the flag hoisting that was performed by Ramkumar Thangaraj, Acting Consul General of India to Dubai and Northern Emirates along with members of Dubai Police and Indian community leaders. Chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram” rang out before the Indian national anthem was played.

People from all over the country queued up in the hot sun for a long time to partake in the celebrations. For Jainal Shah and Khushboo, this was their first Independence Day in Dubai. The couple drove all the way from their home in JVC to the consulate with Khushboo’s parents as well as their children: 4-year-old Taran and 1-year-old Daivat. “We just moved from Bahrain to Dubai in February,” said Jainal. “So, it is all a new experience for us. Bahrain is a very small country where it is just 40km to drive from one end of the country to the other. Here, we drove 40km just to get here.”

For the couple, it is important to instil the patriotic spirit in their children. “As kids growing up in India, we would go for flag hoisting in our neighbourhood and that was one of the most precious memories,” said Khushboo. “We want our children to have a similar experience.”



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