UAE Expat Group Jointly Celebrates India, Pakistan Independence Days

A group of expats, comprising members of the Indian and Pakistani community, jointly celebrated the Independence Days of the two countries in a ceremony in Sharjah on August 13. Organised by a group called UAE Mums, the event, held at Sahara Centre in the city, witnessed the participants sing the national anthems of both the countries.

The joint celebration of the Independence Days, which fall on August 14 and 15 for Pakistan and India, respectively, was attended by about 75 people, Khaleej Times reported. “We originated from the same place. We have our share of tensions but they are limited to the television only,” founder Hena Khan told the publication about the group. “Being born and raised here, I always saw the two countries as one and its people living together in harmony,” Khan, who is of Pakistani descent, had posted on her Facebook page on August 7 to announce the event.

Cross-Border Celebration

The newspaper also quoted an Indian expat, Priya Shetty, who moved to the UAE a year ago, as saying that the difference between Indians and Pakistanis is only in people’s minds. “I’ve never experienced this in my home country. But people here have joined hands to celebrate together. Something like this was beyond my imagination…,” she added.

Another Pakistani expat Samar Jalil talked about the harmony experienced by the people from the two neighbouring countries in the foreign land. Jalil pointed out that the tension between India and Pakistan is only at the borders, adding, “Abroad, we’re all categorised as ‘desis’ rather than as Indians or Pakistanis. Together, we can really help each other grow and bring out the love.”

The Event

A video of the event, posted on the publication’s Facebook page, received over 74,000 views and more than 1,000 shares within 15 hours of being posted online. Watch the video below: