On August 16, the lush green lawns outside the Visitors Center in Lexington were enlivened with a new look: National flags of the United States and India were hoisted, marking a historic moment in the town of Lexington. National anthems of both countries were sung in an atmosphere of spirited patriotism by the Indian American community. Over a hundred people including kids, adults and seniors gathered to mark the 78th Indian Independence Day celebrations, “the first of its kind in Lexington in the last thirty years that I have been living here,” remarked Shashank Nene.
Dressed in traditional Indian attire, people sang lilting melodies. Kids and seniors joined in for the singing of patriotic songs, such as “Saare Jahan Se Achha”, “Vande Mataram” and “I Love My India” that added to the joyous momentum of the occasion bringing the community together.
Speakers included Town Meeting member Umesh Shelat, who reminded families about the importance of learning about their history and passing it on to their children. Several residents also spoke about the current unrest in Bangladesh, including Lexington resident and Harvard professor Yogesh Rathi, who said that while celebrating the freedom of India, people need to come together to stand up against violence towards minorities in Bangladesh including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists, and activist Mona Roy, who told the story of her father’s escape from what was then East Bengal to India during Partition. “I only learned this during the last six months of my father’s life when he shared it with my 10-year-old son,” Roy said. She emphasized the importance of confronting uncomfortable histories to prevent them from happening again.
The event ended on a healing note with the chanting of the Shanti Mantra. The whole community stood together, offering prayers for a harmonious and peaceful world.