Shreya Shimpi
A memorable evening of mesmerising dance and musical performances, ambrosial food and meaningful conversations depicting Indonesian arts, culture and food was hosted by the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia Mumbai. The event was a grand success with many members from the travel fraternity in attendance. The decoration, costumes, ambience, dances and musical performances offered the guests a glimpse into what Indonesia has to offer.
Addressing the gathering, Eddy Wardoyo, Hon. Consul General, Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia, Mumbai said, “This is not only a cause for celebration but also for reflection to remember the sacrifices of our freedom fighters and the Founding Fathers. We have to renew our commitment and build a strong and prosperous future. During this journey of seventy-eight years of becoming independent, Indonesia has experienced its fair share of challenges such as political turmoil, economic crisis and natural disasters. However, the Indonesia of today has overcome much of those challenges and today in terms of economics it ranks 16th among the G20 member countries. In May 2023, the IFM concluded that the Indonesian economy is performing strongly and the micro-economic policies have appropriately returned to their pre-pandemic stages. Allow me to express my great expectations for the future for collaboration between India and Indonesia who share common interests based on our long-standing relationships.”
Sharing his views further, Eddy Wardoyo said, “This is a reception we host every year to commemorate our Independence Day. Our Independence Day is in August but because of the urgent G20 meetings in August, we had to host this event in this month. We invite my colleagues from the Consulate in Mumbai as well as our colleagues from the business community”. Speaking about the relationship between India and Indonesia he said, “Between Indonesia and India we have a very strong bond and a relationship which is not only after Independence but even before that. We have similarities in culture and language. I hope that based on the similarities in the future, the relationship between India and Indonesia organised by the Consulate in Mumbai can be strengthened and we can collaborate in many fields.”
The Chief Guest for the evening was Manisha Mhaiskar, Additional Chief Secretary and Chief Protocol Officer, General Administration Department, Government of Maharashtra. Sharing her thoughts, she said, “We are as our Hon’ble Prime Minister has said ‘One Earth. One Family. One Future. Relations between our two countries date back to the time of Ramayana. Over the last 2000 years, three religions have travelled from India to Indonesia: Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. Ramayana is the best example of Indian influence on Indonesian culture. Ramayana is read to every young child in Indonesia even today. The relationship between India and Indonesia has evolved to a comprehensive strategic partnership as was declared by our Hon’ble Prime Minister during his 2018 visit to Indonesia and was again reiterated by him during his very recent visit to the country in 2023 for an Asian Summit.”
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