Moumita Das Roy
Auckland, August 23, 2024
Indian Independence Day
I stand in Auckland’s Mahatma Gandhi Centre, amidst the vibrant celebrations of India’s 78th Independence Day, with festivities all around me. It is the coming together of so many different communities, familiar faces, and a cultural milieu of the diverse country that is India.
The place is alive with colour and sound as organisations representing more than 15 Indian states have transformed the venue into a vibrant microcosm of India.
Growing influence
As I wander through the crowd, I’m struck by the kaleidoscope of traditional attire on display. Vibrant Gujarati Chaniya cholis mingle with elegant Bengali sarees, while Punjabi kurta pyjamas stand alongside crisp Keralite mundus. It’s a visual feast that perfectly encapsulates India’s diversity. The stage is a flurry of activities, with back-to-back cultural performances.
I spot New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, in the audience. His presence here is a testament to the growing influence of the Indian community in New Zealand. He addresses the gathering, acknowledging that Indians now make up 6% of New Zealand’s population and up to 12% in Auckland. This is the first time the sitting Prime Minister made it to this annual event.
The event is a beautiful demonstration of unity in diversity. The person who sat next to me, probably speaks a different language or eats different food, yet we are connected through the bond of Indianness. Despite being thousands of miles away from home, we’ve recreated a slice of India here in Auckland. It’s a testament to the strength of our culture and the bonds that tie us together, regardless of geography.
Amidst this, the recent incident in Kolkata, where a female doctor was brutally raped and murdered, complicates my feelings about this festivity, a sense of freedom and Independence Day overall. It’s a stark reminder that even within our great nation, and probably all over the world, the promise of freedom remains unfulfilled for many. The subsequent protests in Kolkata and other Indian cities, with women wanting to Reclaim The Night, demonstrate the ongoing struggle for true independence – one that ensures safety and equality for all.
Minorities in Bangladesh
I also drift into memories from my recent visit to my extended family in Bangladesh for the first time. The journey was a pilgrimage of sorts, tracing the roots my grandparents left behind during the Partition of India. As I stepped into my ancestral home in a village in Barisal, now in a foreign land, I was struck by an overwhelming sense of belonging and estrangement.
My cousins welcomed me with open arms, their faces mirrors of my own. We shared meals, swapped stories, and marvelled at the quirks of genetics that made us so similar despite decades of separation. In those moments, the border between India and Bangladesh seemed arbitrary, a line drawn on a map that couldn’t sever the bonds of family and shared history.
Now, as I participate in the Independence Day celebrations in Auckland, those warm memories are tainted by the current crisis unfolding in Bangladesh. Reports of attacks on Hindu minorities, including temple desecrations and forced evacuations, flood my newsfeed. I think of my cousins, my uncles, and wonder if they’re safe. Are they among those being told to leave their homes? The very homes that have been in our family for generations, long before any borders were drawn?
The irony is palpable. Here I am, celebrating India’s independence, while my own family faces the threat of losing their freedom, and their sense of belonging, in a land that was once part of undivided India. The Partition, a consequence of our hard-won independence, continues to cast long shadows 78 years later.
I recall a conversation with one of my uncles during my visit. He spoke of the life they’ve built in Bangladesh, and the deep connections to their community, both Hindu and Muslim. “This is our home,” he said, his eyes reflecting a mixture of determination and concern. “We’ve weathered storms before, and we’ll have to perhaps weather many more.”
His words echo in my mind as I hear about the student-led efforts in Bangladesh to protect Hindu neighbourhoods and temples. It gives me hope to know that there are still those who stand up for their neighbours, regardless of religion. Yet, I can’t shake the feeling that history is repeating itself, forcing people to choose between their homeland and their safety.
Sharing struggles
The celebrations in Auckland, while joyous, now feel bittersweet. I think about the diversity around me – Indians from various states, speaking different languages, following different customs – all united in their love for India. It’s a beautiful representation of what India stands for. But it also reminds me of what’s at stake for minorities in the subcontinent.
As an expat, I often grapple with my role in addressing these issues. How can I contribute from so far away? Perhaps it starts with sharing these stories, ensuring that the struggles of minorities in Bangladesh don’t go unnoticed. Stories of the female doctor who lost her life while protecting others on duty are shared widely so that incidents like these are never repeated.
It is about keeping the dialogue open, challenging the narrative that independence and freedom are finished products rather than ongoing processes. I stand with a complex mix of emotions. Pride in India’s achievements, concern for its challenges, and a deep sense of connection to a broader South Asian identity that transcends borders. I think of my family in Bangladesh, and their resilience in the face of uncertainty, and I’m reminded that independence is not just about national sovereignty. It’s about the freedom to live without fear, to practice a profession of choice or religion and to call a place home.
This Independence Day, my celebration is tempered by a renewed commitment to the ideals that India was founded upon – unity in diversity, secularism, and equality. It’s a commitment that extends beyond India’s borders to encompass the entire subcontinent, honouring the shared history and interconnected future of all its people. I silently add my prayer – for no girl to feel unsafe, for the women fighting for their rights in Kolkata, for the safety of my family in Bangladesh, and for a future where independence truly means freedom for all. The journey that began 78 years ago is far from over, and it’s up to each of us to carry it forward.
Moumita Das Roy is a cross-industry marketer with experience in Nonprofit, Media, Advertising, and Telecom and has worked in some iconic global organisations. She lives in Auckland and writes regularly for Indian Newslink.
