RIYADH/JEDDAH — The 71st Republic Day of India was celebrated with enthusiasm and joy in Indian diplomatic missions and schools around the Kingdom on Sunday. In Riyadh, Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed hoisted the national flag at the Embassy premises, while in Jeddah at the Consulate premises, Consul General Md. Noor Rahman Sheikh hoisted the national flag. The flag hoisting ceremonies were followed by the singing of the national anthem and reading of the President Ram Nath Kovind address to the nation. Excerpts from the speech were read out to members of the Indian community, friends of India and officials of the mission, both in Riyadh and Jeddah. The President's message began with the meaning of what a republic is and rounded off with the words of chief architect Babasaheb Ambedkar on how to keep our democracy vibrant. "The modern State comprises the three organs — Legislature, Executive and Judiciary, which are necessarily interlinked and interdependent. Yet, on ground, the people comprise the State. ‘We the People' are the prime movers of the Republic. With us, the people of India, rests the real power to decide our collective future. "Our Constitution gave us rights as citizens of a free democratic nation, but also placed on us the responsibility to always adhere to the central tenets of our democracy — justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. "It becomes easier for us to follow these constitutional ideals, if we keep in mind the life and values of the Father of our Nation. By doing so, we will be adding a meaningful dimension to our celebrations of 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji....," the president began his address. After highlighting the challenges and achievements, the president touched a chord with Ambedkar's quote as he ended the address with his best wishes for our bright future. "If we wish to maintain democracy not merely in form, but also in fact, what must we do? The first thing in my judgment we must do is to hold fast to constitutional methods of achieving our social and economic objectives." Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed stressed in his message that Republic Day is of very special significance to every Indian living anywhere in the world. It was on this day the Constitution of India came into effect, which declared India as a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic. He also stressed on India's bilateral relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has since evolved progressively into a multi-faceted and mutually-beneficial strategic partnership. The signing of the agreement to form the ‘Strategic Partnership Council' between the two countries during the official visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Kingdom in October 2019 marks a new era in the Indo-Saudi bilateral relations. The top leadership of both countries is keen to strengthen and expand the entire gamut of bilateral relations spanning through diverse fields such as trade, investments & economic cooperation, infrastructure, security & defense cooperation, energy security, food security, healthcare, entertainment, civil aviation, tourism, and culture, besides people-to-people engagement. On this occasion, the ambassador also thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman and the Saudi government for their strong support in elevating the bilateral relations between our countries into a strategic partnership and for hosting a large Indian community in the Kingdom and ensuring their comfort and welfare. In Jeddah, a large number of Indian nationals attended the function. The Consul General Sheikh, in his message, said that the Consulate has worked sincerely and diligently to provide best possible services to the Indian nationals residing in the Western region of the Kingdom including by reducing the number of days required for issuing/reissuing passports within three working days. The introduction of e-Visa facility for Saudi nationals have further streamlined the visa processing and providing a welcoming step to visit India, he said. Praising the excellent Haj arrangement, Sheikh said the government and the people of India are grateful to King Salman, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman and Haj Minister Dr. Mohammed Saleh Benten for making excellent arrangements during Haj-2019. Patriotic songs were also rendered during the event.
