Fresno State will host the 69th annual India Independence Day celebration at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, in the Satellite Student Union (2485 E. San Ramon Ave.).
The free, public event is presented by the Council of Indian Organizations of The Central Valley and co-sponsored by the Cross Cultural and Gender Center and Indian Student Club at Fresno State and various other local Indian organizations.
Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro will be joined by guests including the Hon. Ujjal Dev Singh Dosanjh, former attorney general and premier of British Columbia and former federal minister of health for Canada.
Hon. Ujjal Dev Singh Dosanjh
Dosanjh, born in Punjab, India, worked as a lawyer and politician in British Columbia. He served in various cabinet positions, including the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Security, Public Health and Emergencies.
The Hon. K. Venkata Ramana, consul of community affairs, information and culture for the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, also will speak.
Independence Day is one of three national holidays in India observed in all Indian states and territories. It began with a hoisting of the flag on Aug.15, 1947, the day India became an independent nation, said event organizer Dr. Sudarshan Kapoor, Fresno State professor emeritus of social work.
India was ruled by the British Empire, known as the British Raj. The British faced several political and economic hurdles, as well as Indian resistance led by the Indian National Congress. This was a series of non-violent movements and acts of civil disobedience that ultimately led to liberation.
The Independence Day celebration concludes with a dinner at 7 p.m. at the Elephant Lounge (80 Shaw Ave.) in Clovis. Tickets for the dinner cost $35 person and a RSVP is requested by Aug. 20.
For more information, contact Kapoor at 559.435.2212.
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