Washington, Aug 15
Boston’s Prudential Center was illuminated in the Indian tricolour for the first time as the Foundation of Indian Americans New England marked India’s 80th Independence Day with its fifth International India Day Parade and Freedom Festival.
The celebrations were held at the historic Boston Harbor. Organisers said the illumination transformed the city’s skyline into a symbol of the growing partnership between India and the United States.
The event also received a message from Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah. In a letter to FIA New England president Abhishek Singh, Shah praised the organisation of the parade and extended his greetings to its officials, volunteers and members of the Indian diaspora.
Home Minister Shah said the programme celebrated Indian culture, democratic values and the strong friendship between India and the US. It also helped connect Indians living abroad with their cultural heritage, he said.
The minister said India’s cultural legacy, democratic traditions and the ideal of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, or the world is one family, carried a message of unity, peace and coexistence.
He said Indians living abroad were strengthening cultural, economic and social ties between the two countries through their work, talent and values. Such events also helped younger generations connect with Indian civilisation, culture and national ideals, he added.
Home Minister Shah said India was building a new global identity under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, based on its cultural heritage, democratic values and international cooperation.
He said the government was continuously strengthening its engagement, cultural links and development partnership with the Indian diaspora worldwide under the vision of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” and “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat”.
The parade was inaugurated by Raghuram S., Consul General of India in Boston. Maggie Lemay of the US Navy and Rtd Indian Army Colonel Inderpreet Singh served as grand marshals. Community leaders Ram Gupta and Meetu Gupta also led the procession.
The event featured colourful floats representing India’s cultural diversity and the shared values of India and the US. An American veterans’ band and a Marathi Dhol-Tasha group added music and energy to the procession.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu issued proclamations recognising August 15 as India Day. According to FIA New England, this was the fifth consecutive year that the occasion received such recognition.
The procession travelled through India Street, a historic part of Boston associated with the city’s early maritime trade links with India. Organisers said the route underscored how commerce, people and ideas had connected the two countries across centuries.
Boston Harbor is closely associated with the Boston Tea Party of 1773, a protest against British taxation that became a defining episode in the movement leading to American independence.
The Prudential Center is one of Boston’s most recognisable skyscrapers. Its tricolour illumination joined a growing tradition of prominent buildings and public landmarks marking India’s Independence Day in cities with significant Indian diaspora communities.
