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, 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.
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 saris, 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 signifies 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.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon with other attendees at the Independence Day Celebrations held at the Mahatma Gandhi Center on August 18, 2024, in Auckland Creative Eye Photo through the Auckland Indian Association
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.
What does independence even mean when half the population has to live in fear? The public has to take the streets at midnight seeking safety, and freedom for women! While those in power continue to fail and show no urgency to bring the perpetrators to justice.
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.
Moumita Das Roy in Barisal, Bangladesh, on the banks of the Bishkhali river
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.
In Kolkata, more horrific details of the incident unveil, while the protests continue. A trainee doctor, raped, murdered brutally, while on duty. This is not the freedom we hoped for 78 years ago!
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 freedom, while a young woman loses hers forever. My own family in Bangladesh, faces the threat of losing 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.
The author in front of the school her father attended as a child in Amua, Barisal
I recall a conversation with one of my uncles during my visit. He spoke of the life they’ve built in Bangladesh. “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.” And now history is repeating itself, forcing people to choose between their homeland and their safety.
The celebrations in Auckland, while joyous, now feel bittersweet. I think about the diversity around me — united in our love for India. 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.
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 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, for that young woman in Kolkata. For the minorities in Bangladesh to practice their religion and call the place their home.
A peaceful demonstration by the Indian community in Auckland, over the RG Kar tragedy
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 for all. 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.