INDIA NEWS
INDIA NEWS ON-LINE: http:\\www.indianembassy.org
AUGUST 1/AUGUST 15, 1997
A Tryst with Destiny
AMBASSADOR OF INDIA
2107 MASSACHUSETTS AVE., N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20008
MESSAGE
Bliss was it that dawn to be alive, And to be young was perfect heaven.
These words penned by a great English poet accurately describe the feelings of all of us who were young 50 years ago when our leaders kept their tryst with destiny. Today, the majority of Indias people have been born after that day in independent India. For them, as well as for those of us who were alive at the dawn of 15th of August 1947, there is much to celebrate. From a backward, largely uneducated, indigent and exploited people we have emerged as a free and strong democracy with one of the worlds largest resources in technical manpower, an industrial infrastructure and agricultural production base adequate for our basic needs. We can all look forward to an even brighter future in the comity of nations. While we have much reason for celebration, this is also the time for introspection and thanks giving. All of us are aware of the great sacrifices that our freedom fighters willingly made in the national cause. To honour their memory, we have to constantly reflect on our own duty to the nation and the many tasks which still remain to be accomplished. In this great mission of realizing the fun potential of the people of India, the contribution made by the people of Indian origin an over the world has been significant. This partnership across the globe which has become more effective in recent years will be a major factor in enabling India to occupy its rightful place in the family of nations. In this endeavour, people of Indian origin settled in this great country have a special role to play. Let all of us work together to enrich our world with the ancient treasures of India which we have always so gladly shared, and the modern advance of civilization so richly reflected in the US. My greetings to all Indian Americans for a joyous celebration of 50 years of Indias freedom.
Jawaharlal Nehrus speech in the Constituent Assembly at midnight of 14-15 August 1947 on the eve of independence) Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity. At the dawn of history India started on her unending quest, and trackless centuries are filled with her striving and the grandeur of her successes and her failures. Through good and ill fortune alike she has never lost sight of that quest or forgotten the ideals which gave her strength. We end today a period of ill fortune and India discovers herself again. The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?
(Continued on page 6)
Page 2
INDIA NEWS
August 1-15, 1997
President K. R. Narayanans Speech On His Assumption of Office
To be chosen to the high office of the President of India is an exceptional honour for any Indian. But to be chosen by such an overwhelming number of votes, by such willing consensus among the major political formations of the country, and by such spontaneous goodwill of the people, is for me a benediction and a boon. I wish to express my boundless gratitude to the people of India, to their elected representatives and to the political parties who have reposed their trust and confidence in me. In doing so they have risen above the barriers of religion, caste language and region that separate us and reached out to the essential unity underlying this land of immense diversities. That the nation has found a consensus for its highest office in some one who has sprung from the grass-roots of our society and grown up in the dust and heat of this sacred land is symbolic of the fact that the concerns of the common man have now moved to the centre stage of our social and political life. It is this larger significance of my election rather than any personal sense of honour that makes me rejoice on this occasion. On this historic occasion I recall with reverence and admiration the men of eminence who had preceded me as Heads of State: C. Rajagopalachari, the first Governor-General of free India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of the Republic, and Presidents, Dr. Radhakrishnan, Dr. Zakir Husain, V. V. Giri, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, Giani Zail Singh, R. Venkataraman and Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma. Each one of them has been an outstanding son of India either as a freedom fighter or as a scholar. Some like Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma have been both. Dr. Sharmas erudition, administrative experience and political sagacity and his fine sense of the appropriateness of things have stood the nation in good stead in critical moments of its recent history. May I wish him and the gracious First Lady Vimala Sharma, on behalf of all present here, and on my own behalf, many more years of happiness, good health and useful activity in the service of the people of India. We are now in the 50th year of our Independence. I could hear the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, whose ambition was to wipe every tear from every eye, and the founding fathers of our Constitution, who had assured the people of India of justice, social, economic and political, asking us the question: Are things better for our people than before? We could report to them that we have made tremendous progress in all directions since Independence in food selfsufficiency, in education and in the health of the people and that the country has become a considerable economic and scientific-technological power in the world. These are substantial achievements. All these have taken place under the framework of democracy and through peaceful democratic means. India can take pride in its democracy which, I dare say, is not only the largest but the most vibrant in the world. It is also a democracy in which secularism, equal reverence of all religions and faiths, is enshrined in the Constitution. Gandhiji used to say that true democracy is what promotes the welfare of the people. We have, therefore, the obligation to direct all our efforts to the task of abolishing poverty, ignorance and disease from among our people. Excessive obsession with the pursuit of pure politics has often overshadowed the social, economic and developmental needs of the people. Can we not sink our differences, as we have done in critical occasions in our history, even in the recent election of the President of the Republic, and devote our undivided attention, for a time, to the development of the economy and the welfare of the people. The economic reforms we have launched have produced a new dynamism in the economy. In the midst of these reforms we have not neglected the special problems of the masses and the disadvantaged sections of society. It is imperative that we should provide for them an effective social and economic support. The under-privileged sections like the Scheduled Castes and Tribes, the backward classes, the minorities, and the women who alone constitute half of our population, and the poor of every strata of our society, irrespective of religion or caste, must be made to feel the sensation of participation and empowerment. Indian Civilization has had the unique honour of demonstrating to the world that man does not live by bread alone. Cultural, moral and spiritual values have always formed the fundamental underpinning of our society. Today there are signs of the weakening of the moral and spiritual fibre in our public life with evils of communalism, casteism, violence and corruption bedeviling our society. On January 26, 1948, just a few days before his martyrdom, Gandhiji, at his prayer meeting referred to the demon of corruption adding that indifference in such matters is criminal. Since
(Continued on page 3)
August 1-15, 1997
INDIA NEWS
Page 3
K.R. Narayanan is Sworn-in as the Tenth President of India
Mr. K. R. Narayanan was sworn-in as the 10th President of India at a glittering ceremony in the historic Central hall of Parliament on July 25. As Chief Justice J. S. Verma administered the oath of office to Mr. Narayanan in Hindi at 10.12 am, after Home secretary K. Padmanabhaiah read out the notification on his election as President, 21 guns boomed to mark the occasion. After the oath-taking, outgoing President Shanker Dayal Sharma and the new incumbent exchanged seats and Mr. Narayanan signed the oath register. Among those who watched included Prime Minister I.K. Gujral, his Cabinet colleagues, the Service chiefs and several other dignitaries. Iqbals famous Sare jahan se accha was played at the end of the ceremony. Later, Mr. Narayanan, escorted by Mr. Sharma, drove back to Rashtrapati Bhavan. Earlier, Mr. Narayanan accompanied by Mr. Sharma arrived at Parliament House from Rashtrapati Bhavan in a ceremonial procession. As soon as he arrived at the Central hall, accompanied by the outgoing President, he was escorted to the dais by Chief Justice Verma and Lok Sabha Speaker P. A. Sangma. In his address, the President said that evils of corruption and casteism had bedevilled our society. Corruption had become widespread and leaders of all political parties had the responsibility to fight against it. He also expressed concern over violence which had spread to all walks of society. As the supreme commander of armed forces, it will be his endeavour to preserve, protect and defend the countrys integrity, he said. Referring to the need for strengthening secularism, he said that India was a democracy in which secularism and equal reverence for all religions was enshrined. He lauded economic and technological development the country had made in the past five decades, but observed that the underprivileged, minorities and backwards needed equal participation and economic and social empowerment. Expressing gratitude to the people and political parties who have reposed faith, trust and confidence in him, he said: To be chosen by an overwhelming majority to the high office of the President is an exceptional honour for me. The nation has found consensus for someone who has grown up in the heat and dust of the sacred land. The common man has moved to the centre stage of political life.
Presidents Address . . . (Continued from page 2)
Gandhiji uttered these prophetic and cautionary words corruption has become widespread, violence has been erupting in almost every walk of life, and values we have cherished are being eroded in an alarming manner. In this situation the elders and the leaders in society have the responsibility of setting examples to our youth who today form nearly 60 percent of our population, lest they become cynical about their own lives and callous about the future of the nation. We must realise that the future destiny of our nation lies in the hands of our youth. I have today taken a solemn oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. That Constitution contains the quintessence of the Indian culture and civilization fashioned over the ages. It also contains the more modern conceptions of liberty, equality and fraternity. We owe a debt of gratitude to those known and unknown heroes and heroines whose life long struggle and sacrifices brought us freedom, and to those great personalities who bequeathed to us this Constitution. I should mention the name of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution, who pleaded with passion for the cause of social justice as much as he pleaded for the freedoms and liberties of the people. Fellow citizens, India had entertained throughout its history a world vision. Our sages and seers had thought in terms of the happiness of the whole of humanity. And Jawaharlal Nehru had designed a foreign policy for India with a world outlook. We have a role to play in the world and a message to give to the world. We can do that effectively only if we are united and
(Continued on page 6)
Page 4
INDIA NEWS
August 1-15, 1997
Secularism in the Indian Ethos
By Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma
Secularism in the Indian ethos is a matter of basic relevance to our polity and to the contribution that our country can make towards a better future for the world as a whole. Our understanding of this word, however, is vastly different from that in the West. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary meaning of the word secular is sceptical of religious truth or opposed to religious education. Secularism here denotes a philosophy of scepticism about religious truth or opposing religious education. The Encyclopaedia Britannica gives two meanings of the word secular: (i) lasting or occurring for a long, indefinite period of time and (ii) nonspiritual, having no concern with religious spiritual matters. We in India, however, understand Secularism to denote Sarva Dharma Sambhaav (the co-existence of all religions), an approach of tolerance and understanding of the equality of all religions. The Rig Veda propounds: Truth is one, the learned may describe it differently. Thus a core idea of secular thought is expressed, recognizing the many paths of logical and intuitive access to absolute truth acknowledging and providing conceptual basis to a philosophy of the coexistence of all religions whereby apparently different bodies of religious thoughts are seen as converging to the same and only Truth. The Bhagwad Gita clearly states: Behave with others as you would with yourself. Look upon all the living beings as your friends, for in all of them there resides ones soul. All are but a part of that universal soul. A person who believes that all are his soul-mates and loves them all alike, never feels lonely. Divine qualities of such a person such as forgiveness, compassion and services will make him lovable in the eyes of his associates. He will experience intense joy throughout his life. A very significant manifestation of secular outlook is contained in the Prithvi Sukta in the Atharva Veda: Oh, Mother Earth, give to us, as your children the capacity to interact harmoniously; we speak sweetly with one another. Thus a philosophical and ethnological composite is provided by ancient Indian thought for developing secular thought and outlook. This enlightenment is the true nucleus of what is now known as Hinduism. An enormously powerful and humanistic body of secular thought formed the true substance of Hinduism and should be recognised as such. The ethos of secularism in India was further strengthened by Buddhist thought with its focus on compassion. A magnificent expression of secular dictates is contained in the text of Edict-XII of Emperor Ashoka: The increase of spiritual strength is of many forms. But the root is the guarding ones speech so as to avoid the extolling of ones own religion or to the decrying of the religion of another, or speaking lightly of it without occasion or relevance. As proper occasions arise, persons of other religions should also be honoured suitably. Acting in this manner, one certainly exalts ones own religion and also helps persons of other religions. Acting in a contrary manner, one injures ones own religion and also does disservice to the religions of others. One who reveres ones own religion and disparages that of another from devotion to ones own religion and to glorify it over all other religions does injure ones own religion most certainly. The spirit of tolerance and liberalism central to the secular outlook is thus beautifully expressed in this Edict which will remain an enduring proof of our ancient tradition of secularism. Buddhism moreover denounced social distinctions between man and man. Equality, humanity and compassion were key features of Buddhism which strengthened the secular ethos of India. Jain thought, similarly, with its emphasis on non-violence, understanding, viewing of oneness in all living things, equality, service, Sayyam (self-discipline) and Tap (meditation) comprised a powerful force for coexistential and secular outlook. Vedic, Vedantic, Buddhist and Jain traditions thus together co-existed and deeply imbued the country's ethos with an immutable attitude of tolerance and understanding in religious matters. This ethos conditioned the people to accept, and in fact welcome the entrance of other streams of religious convictions. Christianity reached India in 52 AD: more than a hundred years before it traveled across Europe. St. Thomas the Apostle is said to have preached the Gospel, over 19 centuries ago, in Kerala. Islam reached India soon after its rise in Arabia. Allshatakari, an Arab author of the tenth century wrote of Muslims and
(Continued on page 5)
August 1-15, 1997
INDIA NEWS
Page 5
Secularism in the Indian Ethos (Continued from page 4)
mosques in cities of the Rashtrakuta empire. The Ravuttans and Labbe community of Muslims in Tamil Nadu reflect the early arrival of Islam in India. Two aspects in this regard are noteworthy. First, the initial appearance of Christianity or Islam or Zoroastrianism in India and their establishment on the mainland did not occur as a result of military conquest or threat or conquest. These religions were given a place by virtue of the attitude of accommodation and coexistence displayed by local authorities including the main religious authorities. The second aspect is even more important: Christianity, Islam and Zoroastrianism brought with them spiritual and humanistic thought harmonious and, in fact, identical to the core ideas of the established religious thought in India as exemplified by the basic beliefs of Vedic, Vedantic, Buddhist and Jain philosophy. Christian virtues of love and reciprocity of goodwill among human beings (the doctrine of Do unto others as you would have them do unto you) proclaimed and propagated an ideal which mainland religions also held as basic. The Holy Quran similarly upheld ideals of universal duty which had always been taught by saints and spiritually advanced individuals the necessity of prayers, charity, fasting, good neighbourliness and brotherhood. Classical Zoroastrianism included all humanity in its conceptual scope. The King represented all human beings and was the symbol of Ahur Mazda and his realm was the Dahyupat-lGehan meaning King of the World. In its classical form it was not an insular or exclusive religion. Universal happiness and divinity was regarded as a goal of all existence. Two other aspects in this connection are relevant. First, in India, there has, since time immemorial, been a veneration of saints and holy persons who led a virtuous life, who had suffered for others, and who had something to say about the appropriate path for spiritual advancement and attainment of enlightenment. There was natural interest, therefore, in Islam as a revealed religion brought forth by a Prophet of profound charisma who had faced adversities, and in Christianity which spread the light of Jesus Christ who had suffered a terrible crucification for humanitys sake. The second aspect is that there was a consistent tradition in mainland religious history, connected with saintly figures and holy men to revolt against ritualism and superstition and to emphasise, instead, the original core ideas and beliefs germane to Vedanta. Christ had been known to have thrust aside ritualism and superstition as had the Holy Prophet in his turn. Christian and Islamic teaching was, therefore, regarded with the same veneration as was accorded to the teachings of great reformist souls in India. The advent of early Christianity and Islam in India was thus peacefully accepted, supported and ascribed to not only out of a spirit of co-existence, but with a certain sense of identification. The secular ethos in India was enriched, renewed and reiterated in this way. A fascinating result of interaction between the earlier religions and those that came from the West was inspiration to two important movements of secular nature, the Bhakti School and Sufism. These impulses energised eclectic, egalitarian and reformist action. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru has described this beautifully in his Discovery of India. He says: Hinduism as a whole felt the impact of new ideas.... Muslim mysticism and Sufism which probably had its beginnings in neo-Platonism, grew and from this grew various movements aiming at a religious synthesis... Each person could take his choice of these or more popular and simpler forms of worship. He could be a Vaishnavite and believe in a personal god and pour out his faith in him. Or more philosophically inclined, he could wander in the tenuous realms of metaphysics and high philosophy. The harmonious interaction between Hindu and Islamic culture reflected itself not only in religious movements and philosophy but language, literature, architecture, music and are each emerging enriched. This became an extensive and indigenous process of merger and fusion and an ethos evolved whose value a sensitive statesman like Akbar could immediately grasp. Akbars initiatives for Din-e-llahi, his recognition of the mainsprings of the Indian psyche, were supported by uniquely integrated secular personalities like Abdul Rahim Khan Khana. The Mughal Prince Dara Shikoh later humiliated and killed by Aurangzeb was an outstanding secular figure. He had translated the Upanishads. He also composed the work Samudra Sangam (Confluence of Oceans) intended to show the unity in Islamic and Hindu philosophy. The great Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj exemplified secular ideals of the Indian tradition. It is noteworthy that following the decay of the Mughal empire and the assertion of Maratha power from Attock to Orissa and Pune to Tanjore, the main thrust of activity was not for a Hindu revival of retaliation against Islam. It was for Hindavi Padapadshahi an assertion of secular nationalism. It is interesting that in Benaras, the local Hindu priests successfully moved Peshwa Madhavrao to intercede and prevent destruction of a mosque established in a former temple.
Continued on page 6
Page 6
INDIA NEWS
August 1-15, 1997
Secularism in the Indian Ethos
(Continued from page 5) Secular ideals had similarly led to the formation of the Sikh faith. Through the centuries Guru Nanak has been revered as the Guru of the Hindus and the Pir of the Muslims. Guru Tej Bahadur's martyrdom in the cause of secular ideal was another deeply significant event. Guru Gobind Singh further magnified the secular ideals of the Sikh faith. The following lines composed by Guru Gobind Singh come to mind: Mandir or Mosque, Puja or Namaz, Puran or Quran have no difference. Al1 human beings are equal. The spiritual founders of the Sikh faith, the Gurus, gave the message of Secularism, and so did the greatest Sikh head of State: Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Ranjit Singh gave 15 maunds of gold to the Vishwanath Temple in Benares and a canopy of gold for the temple at Jwalamukhi. It is recorded that he was keen to donate the Kohinoor diamond to the Jagannath temple at Puri. During negotiations with Shah Suja for this reinstallation in Kabul, among the conditions set by Maharaja Ranjit Singh was one for the return of the gate of the Somnath temple which Mohammed Gazni had carried away. The Sikh religion thus became an outstanding example of synthesis in religion and the spirit of secularism. It is noteworthy that all devotional hymns in the Holy Guru Granth Sahib have been drawn from Kabir, Namdev, Sheikh, Farid, Jaydev, Surdas and other saintly persons of different religions. Sikhism is a supreme example of secular philosophy. Despite strong foundations for secular outlook in India, the British were able to manipulate heterogeneity to advance their dominance in the political and economic affairs of the country. But Mahatma Gandhis leadership and inner philosophical convictions were outstandingly powerful elements in promoting secular outlook in India. Writing in the Harijan on May 14, 1938, he stated: Islam, it is said, believes in the brotherhood of Muslims only, it is universal brotherhood. The Allah of Islam is the same as the God of Christians and the Ishwara of Hindus. Even as there are numerous names of God in Hinduism, there are as many names of God in Islam. Living faith in the God means acceptance of the brotherhood of man. It must be stated as a telling proof of India's secular ethos that after Partition in 1947 although Pakistan became a theocratic State, India, with an overwhelming majority of Hindus, chose not to deviate from her longestablished secular ideals.
A Tryst with Destiny . . .
(Continued from page 1) Freedom and power bring responsibility. That responsibility rests upon this Assembly, a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India. Before the birth of freedom we have endured all the pains of labour and our hearts are heavy with the memory of this sorrow. Some of those pains continue even now. Nevertheless the past is over and it is the future that beckons to us now. That future is not one of ease or resting but of incessant striving so that we might fulfill the pledges we have so often taken and the one we shall take today. The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity. The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us but as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over. And so we have to labour and to work and work hard to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for anyone of them to imagine that it can live apart. Peace has been said to be indivisible, so is freedom, so is prosperity now, and so also is disaster in this one world that can no longer be split into isolated fragments. To the people of India, whose representatives we are, we make appeal to, join us with faith and confidence in this great adventure. This is no time for petty and destructive criticism, no time for ill will or blaming others. We have to build the noble mansion of free India where all her children may dwell.
(Continued on page 7)
Presidents Address . . .
(Continued from page 3) strong and in peace and friendship with our neighbours. As President of India it will be my endeavour to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution in every respect, including the provision that India will promote international peace and security. Likewise, it will be my privilege as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces to reflect the nations pride in the competence and professionalism of our armed forces. By guarding our frontiers it is they who make possible the progress within. I shall endeavour to do all these with one goal, one prayer, that India the land of many faiths, languages and a composite culture may be great, that India may become prosperous sharing its prosperity with all its sons and daughters in the spirit of equality and fraternity, and justice, social, economic and political. Jai Hind.
August 1-15, 1997
INDIA NEWS
Page 7
PRESIDENT CLINTON LAUDS INDIAN DEMOCRACY
US President Bill Clinton has lauded Indias success in developing a model civil society in the face of several constraints and called for deeper ties between the two nations to advance mutual security and prosperity. In a message to mark the 50th anniversary of the countrys independence, Clinton praised Indias vibrant democracy as a model for other nations and peoples who are still striving to build civil societies, to institutionalize democratic values of free expression and religion, and to find strength in diversity. I am honored to congratulate India on fifty years of independence and to extend to citizens of this great nation continued prosperity, Clinton said in a message published in the latest edition of the SPAN commemorating the golden jubilee of Indias freedom from the colonial yoke. Washington was interested in further deepening existing bonds between two nations, Clinton said in ways that advance the security and prosperity of our nations adding that the recent economic reforms initiated by New Delhi have added an important new dimension to our bonds.
President Clinton to Visit India in 1998
President Bill Clinton is planning a visit to India in 1998, a touring Indian parliamentary delegation has been told. Members of the congressional caucus on India and Indian-Americans have told the eight member all-party parliamentary delegation from India led by Mr. P. Upendra that the US President was planning a visit next year and suggested that India parliament could consider setting up a body similar to the caucus to promote IndoAmerican relations. The delegation met Congressmen Mr. Frank Pallone (Democrat) and Mr. Bill McCollum (Republican), CoChairman of the Caucus which has 88 members, and Mr. Stephen Horn (Republican). Indian Ambassador Naresh Chandra was also present. The delegation also had a separate meeting with Mr. Gary Ackermen (Democrat). Mr. McCollum suggested that the Indian Parliament could consider setting up a body similar to the caucus to promote Indo-American relations. Mr. P. Upendra later hold a Press Conference that a proposal to create a body similar to the caucus was under consideration and the speaker would decide on it. He said that there was not much opposition to the suggestion in the Indian parliament but some practical difficulties had come in the way. However, he assured that the suggestion had not been rejected and that the delegation would convey the feelings of the NRIs, which had also mooted similar suggestion, to the Prime Minister and others concerned. The delegation was told that Congressman Benjamin Gilman, Chairman of the House International Relations Committee, plans to visit India and he would be meeting the Dalai Lama at his headquarters in Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. Congress member of the delegation Sat Mahajan, who represents Himachal Pradesh, said that Mr. Gilman was assured of a warm and enthusiastic welcome to the state. One of the main purposes of the delegations visit was the ethics committees of congress.
A Tryst with Destiny . . .
(Continued from page 1) I beg to move, Sir, That it be resolved that: (1) After the last stroke of midnight, all members of the Constituent Assembly present on this occasion do take the following pledge: At this solemn moment when the people of India, through suffering and sacrifice, have secured freedom, I,......., a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, do dedicate myself in all humility to the service of India and her people to the end that this ancient land attain her rightful place in the world and make her full and willing contribution to the promotion of world peace and the welfare of mankind. (2) Members who are not present on this occasion do take the pledge (with such verbal changes as the President may prescribe) at the time they next attend a session of the Assembly.
EMBASSY OF INDIA
Attn: Mr. Sudhir Joshi 2107 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20008
First Class U.S. Postage
PAID
Silver Spring, MD Permit No. 3966
Page 8
INDIA NEWS
August 1-15, 1997
Jawaharlal Nehru being sworn in as Indias First Prime Minister (August 15, 1947) Subscriptions for Receiving
India News
I would like to receive the India News. A check for U.S. $5.00 is enclosed for annual subscription charges. Make your check payable to: Embassy of India 2107 Massachusetts Ave., NW Washington, DC NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP
IN THIS ISSUE
Ambassadors Message ....................... 1 Tryst with Destiny ................................ 1 Presidents Speech ............................... 2 Secularism in the Indian Ethos .......... 4 Clinton Lauds Indian Democracy ...... 7
PUBLISHED BY SHIV MUKHERJEE FOR THE EMBASSY OF INDIA, WASHINGTON, DC EDITOR : SUDHIR JOSHI
