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The Indian community in Leicester celebrated India's55th Republic Day on January 26 with the tunes of music and dances. Leicester has a large population of Indians – mainly Gujaratis – who migrated there from Uganda in the early 1970s. The town has a twinning arrangement with Surat.
A flag-hoisting ceremony was held at the Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre where Indian High Commissioner Ronen Sen delivered a message from the Indian government. Entertainment included classical Indian singing and dances by youngsters, some of whom dressed up as Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi.
Maganbhai Patel, president of the Gujarat Hindu Association, which organised the celebrations, said he was delighted at the turnout. “It was a full house and a fantastic night, everyone had an excellent time. I?m really happy so many people came out to celebrate. It'sa very important day in India history”, he said.
Ramanbhai Barber, secretary of the association, said: “The place was packed with people. I am sure that the adults enjoyed it as much as the children. The children learned a lot about Indian history, too.”
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