Indian American community of US capital area (Greater Washington DC) did celebrate India’s 73rd Independence Day in front of The Embassy of India from 9 am till 3 pm. About 600 people of Men, women, and children in their colorful attires thronged the area holding India flags and sloganeering “Bharat Mata ki Jai” , “ Vandemataram “ . It was a festive atmosphere where Samosa, sandwich, and Chai was served in the morning and lunch afternoon. 9 busses were engaged to haul people covering DC suburbs in Virginia and Maryland states. The gathering consists of all Indian ethnic organizations representing 19 state of Bharat. Groups of Muslims, Sikhs, Kashmiris were part of the festivities. An American band playing Indian and American anthems, and patriotic songs of Bharat made the crowds crooning and dancing. Dhol, Bhangra and songs were merrily organized. A small group (25) of Khalistanis supported by Pakistan and few Pakistanis have turned up on the other side of Massachusetts Ave and were disproportionately outnumbered by the huge gathering of Bharatiya Samuday. Our sevikas and Muslim sisters tied Rakhis. The celebrating crowd sang “Sare Jahan se Accha “ and shouted slogans “ Kashmir Bharat ka” and “ Punjab Bharat ka”. A small but very educational exhibition on the life of Gandhi ji was organized and people paid flora tributes to the statue of Gandhiji that was inaugurated in 2000 by then PM Atal Behari Vajpayee ji and then President Billl Clinton.
