Gyalpoi Zimpon Ugyen K Namgyel, senior Bhutanese officials, and the Indian community celebrated the 69th Republic Day at the Embassy of India at Hejo, Thimphu yesterday.

Indian Ambassador Jaideep Sarkar read out the President of India’s address.

The speech highlighted India’s efforts towards independence and the important aspects of nation-building process such as equality, education, eradication of poverty, disciplined and morally upright institutions and co-existence among and with the citizens and other countries.

The President said that with the framing and adoption of the constitution and the birth of the Republic of India, India truly achieved the ethic of equality among all citizens. “This ethic of equality complemented the liberty that comes at Independence.”

He said that nation-building is a grand project comprising of billions of smaller projects. “Nation building is also about building a family, a neighbourhood, a community, an enterprise, an institution and a society.”

India became a republic on January 26, 1950.

Karma Cheki