Event organizers contemplate resuming Querbes Ave. parade next year
Park Extension’s Place de la Gare was filled with joy and jubilation on the afternoon of Sunday Aug. 17 as people of Indian heritage from everywhere in the Montreal region gathered to take part in joyful festivities marking the day 79 years ago when India became a nation.
For many elected officials from Parc Ex as well as from throughout the Montreal region, the India Independence Day celebrations were just one of a lengthy series of events taking place all weekend as Montrealers were beginning to wind down after summer vacation.
One of Parc Ex’s big events
Organized annually by the India-Canada Organization, India Independence Day is one of the largest public events in Parc Extension every year. Months of preparation take place, leading up to it annually.
Although there has not been an India Independence Day parade along Querbes Ave. for a number of years, India-Canada Organization chairman Naseer Mehdi Khan, as well as an event organizer from the Borough of VSMPE both suggested to Nouvelles Parc Extension News that they haven’t given up hope of holding a parade next year if the conditions are right and there is willingness to go ahead with it.
Progress report on India
In addition to the celebrations, India Independence Day is also an occasion for the organizers to publicly speak about progress that’s been made during the previous year in the home country and to focus on issues of concern there.
Since the early 1990s, India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in the developing world. This has been accompanied by increases in life expectancy, literacy rates and food security. India is now one of the world’s largest economies by nominal GDP, and third-largest by purchasing power parity.
Indian economy booming
During the local celebrations, an official representative from the Republic of India’s high commission in Canada spoke optimistically of India’s prospering economy, which ranks next to Germany, China and the United States (which is in first place).
He also spoke of significantly improved relations between India and Canada with the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Carney. Relations between Canada and India fell to an historic low during former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s time in office.
