भारत का प्रधान कोंसलावास, बाली
Consulate General of India, Bali
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PRESS RELEASE
Grand celebrations in Bali to mark the Republic Day of India
A grand National Day Reception was hosted by the Consulate General of India, Bali on 29 January 2014 at Westin Hotel in Nusa Dua to mark the 64th anniversary of the Republic Day of India. The event was attended by over 300 guests, including representatives of political parties, Members of Regional Parliament, officials from the provincial & Regency governments, Bali Police, academia, art & cultural personalities, spiritual leaders, ashrams, alumni of Indian universities, media, Consul Generals & Honorary Consuls and Indians/PIOs resident in Bali.
His Excellency Mr. Anak Agung Ngurah Oka Ratmadi, Chairman of the House of Representatives (DPRD) Bali was Chief Guest. Other prominent guests included eminent Balinese painters Nyoman Gunarsa and Made Wianta, noted spiritual guru Ratu Bagus, Chairman of World Hindu Summit, Prof. I Made Bakta, Mr. Panudiana Khun, Chairman of Indonesian Entrepreneurs Association (APINDO) Bali Chapter and Shri P.L. Ramanchandran, Chief Executive of Bank of India Indonesia.
The event started with the rendering of National Anthems of India and Indonesia by school children and teachers of Gandhi Memorial International School (GMIS), Bali, followed by a patriotic song – Sare Jahan Se Accha Hindosta Hamara. A Balinese welcome dance was performed by noted Balinese artistes from Ubud. Mrs. Sindhu Raj, a volunteer Bharatanatyam/ Odissi Teacher with the Jawaharlal Nehru Indian Cultural Centre, Jakarta performed Mangalacharan in classical Odissi dance style hailing from the State of Odisha in India, from where Indian traders sailed to Indonesia centuries ago bringing along with them not only the merchandise but also their art & culture, traditions and dance forms, religious scriptures etc. which were later analyzed, adapted and made their own by the Balinese society.
Welcoming the guests, Consul General A.S. Takhi, informed that this was the first-ever National Day Reception hosted by the Consulate in Bali and also marked the second anniversary of the Consulate, set up by India in mid-January 2012. He elaborated on series of initiatives undertaken by the young Consulate mainly focusing on education, tourism, culture, capacity building and trade & investment to strengthen the bilateral relations and deepening people-to-people relations between India & Indonesia in general and Bali and eastern Indonesia in particular.
Ambassador Gurjit Singh highlighted that both Indian & Indonesia enjoy healthy trade relations worth US$20 billion and the Indian companies have invested about US$15 billion in various sectors of economy in Indonesia. He stated that the world is looking towards our two countries, which would accelerate the economic activities and development & prosperity of not only our two countries but of several other countries in Asia and in the world. He stated that both countries will conduct General Elections during this year and the youth of India & Indonesia will come to the fore in these elections, while elaborating that nearly 30-40 million new voters in Indonesia and 170 million in India will vote for the first time.
Given the large young population in both our countries, collaboration in enhancing the capacity of our human resources is extremely important. The Embassy has launched a book on “Studying in India” in Bahasa Indonesia for the benefit of Indonesian students, lecturers, academicians, to pursue higher education in Indian universities. Recognizing that Indonesia is working in a regional model, the Government of India opened the Consulate in Bali which has completed its second anniversary now. We have also reinvigorated the activities of the Consulate in Medan. Keeping the importance of working with the regions of Indonesia in mind, the Embassy in Jakarta and the Consulates in Bali and Medan have undertaken several trade & culture initiatives in East Java, Central Java, Sumatra, East Kalimantan, North Sulawesi and Bali, and stepped up our economic & cultural engagement with various regions of Indonesia.
His Excellency Cok Ratmadi, Chairman of DPRD Bali conveyed his warm greetings to the Ambassador, Consul General and all Indians on the Republic Day celebrations and thanked them for choosing Bali for the Reception. He elaborated on the close cooperation between India & Indonesia during their colonial period and struggle for independence. He noted that India supported Indonesia’s struggle for freedom and was the first country to recognize Indonesia’s independence. During his visit to India leading a delegation from Bali Parliamentarians, he has had fruitful discussions with the Indian Parliamentarians. He referred to close affinity that Bung Karno and Pt. Nehru shared and their cooperation in fighting against the colonization and in convening the Bandung Asia-Africa Conference. He also referred to the strong religio-cultural influences from India, including Rsi Markandeya’s contribution to development of society and Pura Besakih in Bali.
The Consulate organized an exhibition of a collection of rare photographs featuring visits to Bali by Pandit Jawaharalal Nehru Indira Gandhi in June 1950, President Dr. Rajendra Prasad in 1958, Prime Minister Vajpayee in January 2001, and photos of recent visits by former President Smt. Pratibha Patil in November 2008 and President SBY’s visit to India in December 2012 for the India-ASEAN Summit.
On the occasion, select paintings by noted contemporary women painters from India were displayed, part of the larger “Women by Women” painting exhibition currently on at ISI Denpasar for a period of one month till 22 February 2014.
A documentary titled “Harmony Fest” showcasing various festivals of India and the festive harmony enjoyed in these occasions was shown. Publications brought out by the Embassy in Bahasa Indonesia such as Studying in India / Mari Belajar di India, Scripting Future Histories / Menulis Sejarah Masa Depan, Essential Elements of Kathak / Elemen Penting Dalam Kathak, Yoga Book, Weave of Friendship, and others were displayed.
The guests were treated to Indian Indonesian sumptuous delicacies. Balinese dances songs were performed by Balinese POP artistes, which were greatly appreciated. The presentation of Balinese cultural programme comprising traditional dances, songs on worship of Bhagwadgita and Paropakarya as well as ethnic contemporary dance – a mixture of traditional and modern dance – were all sponsored by the friends of India within the Balinese community.
The event elicited very warm response and appreciation from all the guests. The Chief Guest himself noted that such events may be organized more frequently in Bali, which helps to further deepen existing strong cultural relations that the people of Bali have enjoyed over centuries with the friendly people of India.
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