CHICAGO: The Consulate also had India Day celebrated in the evening in a grand way by hosting a cultural program at the Chicago Cultural Center in Downtown. The event was attended by 350 plus invitees and guests, many non Indians. The cake cutting ceremony commemorating the birth of India as an independent nation was well received.
In his welcome, address CG Dr Ausaf Sayeed touched upon the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters – leaders and citizens alike, belonging to different faiths, speaking different languages, hailing from urban as well as rural and tribal areas who shed their sweat and blood so that we can breathe the air of freedom. He observed that as a country India boasts of endless diversity in every aspect of life. India’s multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-religious society offers a unique and incomparable model of peaceful co-existence and inclusive growth, which is often described as India’s ‘Unity in Diversity’.
“Today, India has emerged as the fastest growing economy in the world with GDP growing over 8%. This speaks a lot about all the things that are being done right – consistent economic reforms, tight fiscal policies and measures undertaken towards ease of doing business and improving the investment climate in India. Significant thrust is being given to boost the manufacturing sector in India, enhance skills and to put in place a better ecosystem for startups and technologies so as to ignite and rekindle the ‘India Story’ and lead the country on a path of sustainable development,” he observed
Talking about the US-India bilateral relationship, he said that the relations were never better as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited the United States four times since assuming office while President Barrack Obama has visited India twice.
He pointed out that the state of Illinois has already proposed ‘MoUs for Smart State Cooperation’ with the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The state of Michigan is keen to forge partnership with Maharashtra and there are other similar endeavors to link our regions together and to learn from mutual experiences.
Undoubtedly, the 3.2 million strong Indian-American Diaspora in the US, including over 700,000 in the US Midwest, has played a significant role in advancing the relationship between India and United States by acting as a strong and effective bridge between our two great democracies, he added.
He then invited the guests to enjoy the flavor of India during rest of the evening watching a colorful cultural program and tasting some delicious Indian dishes.
