Washington, DC – Google Doodle, the symbolic depiction on the global giant honored the 69th Anniversary of India’s Independence as Google India’s Doodle featured Mahatma Gandhi leading the Dandi March of 1930. Earlier John Kerry, the US Secretary of State issued a statement on behalf of US President Barack Obama and the people of the United States, sending, “our best wishes to the people of the Republic of India as you celebrate your Independence Day this August 15.”
Describing the historical background of the depiction, Google Doodle wrote, “Today’s Doodle drawn by Leon Hong depicts the Salt March of 1930, which served as the impetus of the Civil Disobedience Movement. At the end of the march, the dissenters boiled mud and produced illegal salt in defiance of unfair salt laws, resulting in more than 80,000 arrests.”
“Mahatma Gandhi led the 240-mile march to Dandi, inspiring millions of Indians to commit acts of civil disobedience and changing the way the world perceived the movement for Indian independence. The message of the historic 24-day march echoed around the world for years to come and significantly influenced activists like Martin Luther King Jr. and James Bevel in the US,” it concluded.
Secretary Kerry in his message commemorated, “the legacy of India’s freedom fighters, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Patel, whose message of nonviolence established a united, inclusive republic and served to inspire leaders from around the globe.”
Recalling his many visits to India, Kerry said, “From the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas to the jungles of the Western Ghats, India is a stunningly beautiful landscape with rich cultures, histories and peoples united under one nation. Since 1947, India has stood as a beacon for the world: as an economic power that prides innovation, as a resilient democracy in the face of terror, and as a strategic power that upholds international norms.”
On the bilateral relations between “the world’s largest democracies, the United States and India,” Kerry reiterated that the two, “stand side by side in defending and promoting the freedoms and values we hold dear. ”
“As was highlighted during President Obama’s visit for India’s Republic Day in January, the United States takes pride in our indispensable partnership with India, a friendship built on our shared democratic values, the entrepreneurial spirit of our people, and our shared interests. As India continues its tryst with destiny into the 21st century, it will find in the United States a willing and able partner in the cause of freedom, democracy, and prosperity. Jai Hind,” stressed Secretary Kerry.
Extending his best wishes to the Indian nationals, members of the Indian community and well-wishers of India, Indian Ambassador to the US, Arun K. Singh in a video message said, “Hailed as the defining partnership of the 21st century in the world, India and the US are enhancing their relationship not only at the bilateral level but also at regional and global levels.”
Ambassador Singh concluded thanking, “Indian Nationals and Indian American community for their dynamic, substantial and continuous contribution to the strengthening the relationship between the largest and the oldest democracy.”