INDIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY – ANTHONY ALBANESE ALP

 
On behalf of the Australian Labor Party, I send my best wishes to the Australian Indian community ahead of the anniversary of Indian Independence. The celebrations have added meaning as we begin a year-long celebration leading up to the 75th anniversary of your Independence.
 
Coming just two years after the end of World War II, India’s independence was nothing short of a beacon of light after a period of profound darkness. As the clock struck midnight that fateful August night, it was what Prime Minister Nehru so famously described as a “tryst with destiny”.
 
Nearly three quarters of a century later, India still leads the world as our largest democracy and as a remarkable, vibrant and diverse country.
 
With so much upended by the turmoil of pandemic, the celebrations of this momentous anniversary will be subdued – even more so for the great many of us who are thinking of family and loved ones across the seas. There is a new tyranny of distance, but I have every hope that it will soon be behind us.
 
While the current circumstances are different, the sentiments are the same. I know Australian Indians will be reflecting on the past 74 years with pride, while looking ahead to a future bright with progress and growth. 
 
I wish you a proud and joyous Independence Day, and I look forward to when we can join together in celebration once more.
 
Recorded video message for your use available here.