R Shanker, Second Secretary, High Commission of India, Indian High Commissioner Malay Mishra and M M Sharma, director and First Secretary, Mahatma Gandhi Institute For Cultural Co-operation, smile for the camera, after yesterday’s news conference at the office of the High Commission of India in Port-of Spain. PHOTO: Dilip Singh

Indian nationals in T&T will be the guests of honour at the official residence of Indian High Commissioner, Malay Mishra, as part of the lavish celebrations planned to commemorate India’s 63rd anniversary of independence. Mishra made the announcement during yesterday’s news conference, held at the Port-of-Spain office of the High Commission of India. Top diplomats and heads of missions are also expected to attend the grand event on August 15. A high-ranking government official has been invited to serve as the event’s guest of honour, but Mishra could not divulge a name, citing that they were awaiting confirmation of this.

He noted, however, that the general public would have a chance to learn more about India through a series of pre-independence day workshops and concerts. This would include the first-ever International Ayurveda Conference and exhibition on August 3, to be held at the Amphi Theatre A, University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus. The exhibition, he said, would be inaugurated by Tertiary Education Minister Fazal Karim. Also present at yesterday’s conference was R Shanker, Second Secretary, High Commission of India, who noted that Kala Ramnath, one of India’s renowned violinists would also be in T&T to take part in the cultural celebrations.

“It will be a great day... It’s the day when India gained independence from British rule,” he said. At the conference, the High Commissioner lauded the planned visit of a T&T delegation, including local Carnival designer Brian McFarlane, to the Commonwealth Games, to be held in Delhi, India, in October. “A delegation of about 150 people from T&T, including athletes, officials and media people will be taking part in the Commonwealth Games.” He said around 8,000 sports people and 5,000 officials from 71 Commonwealth Games Associations, representing more than one-third of the world’s population, would be attending.