London [UK], January 30 : The High Commission of India hosted a prestigious reception at the historic Guildhall in London to celebrate India's 76th Republic Day. The event was attended by over 800 guests, including prominent members of the Indian diaspora, friends of India from the UK, Members of Parliament, lords, and other distinguished personalities.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, was the chief guest and delivered a speech highlighting the strong and evolving relationship between India and the UK. He emphasized the deep historical, cultural, and economic ties between the two nations.
In his speech, he said that India's Republic Day is "such a huge milestone in India's history that reminds us that the world's largest democracy continues to thrive
He mentioned about the visit of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to the House of Commons earlier this month and added, "The visit was an absolute eye-opener, especially when we heard about India is leading the way in the use of artificial intelligence. To learn that AI simultaneously translates 22 languages in your Parliament is just incredible. As I told your Honourable Speaker, we would love to work together to find out how AI can improve our parliamentary procedures".
Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami said that with the celebration of Republic Day, 75 years ago when India's Constitution entered into force, India became not just a republic but also the first country to transition directly to a democracy for all of its 350 million people at that time. "We did not wait for prosperity or literacy or a better someday, a better any day to give every one of ourselves full citizenship", he added.
Speaking on the India-UK partnership, the High Commissioner said, "It is natural that as nations with so much in common, our partnership is not only a natural choice, it is an obvious choice".
Wes Streeting, the UK's Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, was also present at the event, further underscoring the importance of India-UK relations across various sectors, including healthcare and trade.
The reception served as a significant platform for strengthening diplomatic and community ties, celebrating India's rich heritage, and recognizing the contributions of the Indian diaspora in the UK. The presence of high-ranking officials and esteemed guests made it a historic and memorable occasion.