INDIA’S REPUBLIC DAY
Serendipitously, the 26th of January is an important day for both the people of Australia and India.
In 1838, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the First Fleet’s landing at Sydney Cove and British settlement, a public holiday was first declared in the colony of New South Wales, which today, all Australian states and territories celebrate as Australia Day.
In 1950, India’s Constitution came into force, formally establishing the republic of a new nation which had gained its independence less than three years earlier.
Accordingly, for many Australians of Indian ancestry, the 26th of January is a day of dual significance.
Building on a camaraderie that was first cultivated between our soldiers on Gallipoli in 1915 during the ill-fated Dardanelles Campaign, in the decades after the birth of the Republic of India in 1950, new pipelines opened between our two countries carrying business, goods and people.
Many Indians have made Australia their home and become cherished Australian citizens who contribute to their communities and country in many fields of endeavour.
Today, with both Australia Day and India’s Republic Day celebrations taking place, we acknowledge two modern democratic achievements – as well as the friendship, values and enterprise that connect us.
Hon Peter Dutton MP
Leader of the Opposition
26 January 2025