Independence Day!

Today marks the 60th anniversary of Indian Independence and there are flags and street celebrations everywhere!

Yesterday at Asha Kiran School it was a very special day as the children put on a concert with a variety of items, a drama, a pageant representing the different States within India, some dancing and some singing! A Colonel from the Indian Army whose daughter was there with his wife and supervised the flag raising ceremony outside and the children provided a display before we all went indoors for the rest of the programme! Everyone was dressed up in their best clothes and the orange, white and green of India were everywhere. Lilian opened the programme in prayer, the Colonel made a speech and I (down on the programme as the Chief Guest!!) made a speech/sermon on Freedom. I used the passage from Galatians, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free."

Then the children all got off school early and we stayed and had lunch. Trying to learn to eat Indian style eating with my fingers but a two year old makes less mess than I do!

Today, the school is off so I went for a walk to see what was going on. As usual, there was more action with the poorer people in the back streets but I wasn't sure what sort of reception I would get as a European.

However someone took me by the arm and brought me through a few places and I discovered that I was to be the guest of honour at a flag raising ceremony! There was a big picture of Gandhi and to the sounds of Colonel Bogey!! the Indian flag was raised while firecrackers went off and everybody clapped. Then I had a brooch of the flag of India pinned to my chest like a medal, and I was given all sorts of delicious Indian sweet cakes to eat! I shook hands with everybody and left to much applause! Should apply for a job in the diplomatic corps!