Local group celebrates end of British rule in India

By Justin Seward - Lethbridge Herald on August 17, 2022.

Herald photo by Justin Seward India Canada Culture Association - Lethbridge president Surya Acharya raises the India flag at city hall on Monday as the local Indo community gathers around to celebrate the country's 75th anniversary of independence.

The India Canada Culture Association – Lethbridge hosted a flag-raising ceremony to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence at City Hall on Monday evening.

The crowd was from the local Indo community, which has grown to more than 500 people in the city.

“It means a lot because for 700 years India was under rule – 500 years with the Moguls and then 200 years from the British,” said ICCA-Lethbridge president Surya Acharya.

“But now it is independent and it’s making all kinds of progress. But India people take a lot of pride in doing all these things and they do it in a grand scale. But here, my interest is to make sure that our next generation and generations after that understand that we are also proud Indians.”

Acharya wants to make sure Lethbridge is aware that the Indian community is here in great numbers and are doing something for their community.

“We are working hard and doing everything and most of us are actually doing relatively well,” he said.

“We have many students coming from India and those are things that we want to make our local public know.”

Acharya thinks he can see a big difference in history from now all the way back to 25 years ago.

“If you go to India, it has changed considerably because after independence they think they’re their own people,” he said.

“So they can do what they feel is the right thing.”

Upen Patel said it’s pride for everybody.

“Like for kids, like they knew our culture, they knew the importance of the Independence Day,” he said. “They’re really excited… to celebrate this event.”