Montrealers to remember 75 years since India’s independence
Posted August 17, 2022 10:17 am.
Last Updated August 31, 2022 11:05 am.
Monday marked 75 years since India gained its independence from British rule.
August 15th, 1947 is a dark time in the country’s history as many families were ripped apart. Many Muslim Indian families migrated to the newly formed Pakistan and many Hindu families made their way over to the new India.
CityNews spoke with Naseer Mehdi Khan. He is a fiercely proud Indian-Canadian Montrealer.
“[India] is the biggest democracy in the world, with more than 1.35 billion people. In Canada, we have two languages official languages. Then we have problems. [In India] we have 20 official languages, and 6,400 with dialects. 20 major religions. 21 major festivals in different religions and 29 different languages spoken.
Naseer Mehdi Khan with Justin Trudeau.(Photo Credit: Naseer Mehdi Khan)
“We want to keep our culture in India. You can still be here for the second or third-generation people. You want to teach them to maintain that heritage.”
At a time when political unrest is ravaging much of India; particularly when it comes to the treatment of its Sikh and Muslim religious minorities, Khan is hopeful for the future.
“We have different cultures, different communities. Of the 20 states, the southern state are more educated than one’s in the northern states. Like, I mean, part of it comes in, in rural, there are very less educated people. Unfortunately, what’s happening right now is a lack of education. I would say you won’t find the same things in southern India, you won’t find in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh of Tamil Nadu or Kerala. You won’t find all these things like we have.
“We can’t forget what happened in India,” says Montrealer Naseer Mehdi Khan. @Icomontreal @CityNewsMTL #IndiaIndependenceDay https://t.co/5TtSl97B2g pic.twitter.com/ndlCrO8CBj
— Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed (@CanadianMomEh) August 17, 2022
Naseer Mehdi Khan with Justin Trudeau.(Photo Credit: Naseer Mehdi Khan)
“People are more educated here and they know what’s going on. They don’t interfere in the regions. I’m very proud to be a Muslim. I’m a Muslim, I’m a chairman of an Indian Indian Association. We have a Hindu president and a Sikh Vice-Chairman, a Sikh vice president. A Hindu treasurer a Sikh wife and an individual, a South Indian signatory. And we have a diversified board. Education makes a lot of difference, I hope in the near future, like the way that the literacy rate is going in India, things will be like what happened in south will definitely spread to the north side soon.”
Khan is looking forward to celebrating with others come Saturday. The India Canada Organization is putting together the 20th India Day from 2:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. next to 375 Jean-Talon West.
The event will be free for all to attend. And there be food, a live band from India, and fun for the whole family.
