Her Majesty The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, accompanied by Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, William and Kate- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and other Members of the Royal Family, will host a reception to mark the launch of the UK-India Year of Culture 2017 on Monday 27 February at the Buckingham Palace. The reception will also be attended by India's Finance Minister, Hon'ble Arun Jaitley.
The 2017 UK-India Year of Culture will celebrate the deep cultural ties and the 70th anniversary of India’s Independence through a year-long programme of events and exhibitions which will take place in both countries. The events are being organised by the British Council, together with the Indian High Commission in London, UK institutions and their Indian counterparts, with the aim of connecting and inspiring people to celebrate the long-standing relationship and vibrant cultural history.
The reception will bring together the best of British and Indian culture and creativity, represented through a range of high profile guests with an interest in both countries. The attendees include guests from the fields of performing arts, fashion, food, literature and sport such as Kunal Nayyar, Neha Kapur, Ayesha Dharker, Kapil Dev, Rio Ferdinand, Anoushka Shankar and Joe Wright.
A highlight of the evening will include a special Indian themed menu of canapes prepared by Royal Chefs working alongside chefs from Veeraswamy, the UK's oldest Indian Restaurant. There will also be a display from the Royal Collection including items from previous Royal Visits to India, and Indian gifts and manuscripts from the Royal Library.
Earlier in the day, the Band of the Grenadier Guards will a play a selection of Indian themed music during the Changing of the Guard Ceremony, including soundtracks from the movie “Slumdog Millionaire”.
The Queen and The Royal Family have a personal connection with India and have visited several times. Her Majesty's first State Visit to India, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, was in 1961, as the guests of Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India. The first engagement was to Raj Ghat, the spot where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated, where The Queen left a tribute of a wreath of 500 roses and planted a tree. At the State Banquet that evening, Her Majesty said: “To all in India I bring a greeting of goodwill and affection from the British people. I hope that our visit will demonstrate to the world the respect and friendship which exists between Britain and India, and indeed all the countries which are joined together in the free partnership of the Commonwealth.
Since then, Her Majesty and His Royal Highness have paid two further State Visits to India (in 1983 and 1997) and received three incoming State Visits to the UK from India (1963, 1990 and 2009). In 2009, at the State Banquet given for the then President of India Smt. Pratibha Patil in Windsor Castle, Her Majesty said that the "warmth and hospitality of the Indian people, and the richness and diversity of India itself have been an inspiration" [to her and her family]. The Queen also reflected on the UK's and India's "long shared history, which today is a source of great strength in building a new partnership fit for this new century".
The most recent visit to India was by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2016.
Arun Jaitley's visit to the UK
Besides attending the reception at Buckingham Palace, India's Finance Minister will attend a special reception organised by Dr Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson Art & Culture Committee, FICCI on Sunday 26 February at The Lalit, London. On Monday, 27 February, The High Commission of India, UK India Business Council and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) have organised for an exclusive event to hear from Mr Jaitley at a central London hotel. Through a dialogue and interactive Q&A with the audience, Minister Jaitley will share his views on the investment opportunities in India, how his recent budget will impact UK businesses, and on the future of the UK-India trade and investment relationship.
According to sources, the Minister may also be launching 70 years celebration of the Indian Journalists' Association at a private event on Monday 27 February. The new IJA President Ashis Ray is awaiting confirmation from his office, we have learnt.
The Minister had visited London last in January 2015, when he had inaugurated the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Parliament Square with PM David Cameron.
Other events to celebrate UK-India Year of Culture
To this year-long celebration of the long-standing relationship between the UK and India, the Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Minister of State for Digital and Culture, alongside Mr Y. K Sinha, High Commissioner for India, will open an event, which will take place on Tuesday 28 February at BFI Southbank, London. The event will provide details of cultural activity - including art exhibitions, touring theatre and dance and large-scale film productions – which will take place across the UK and India throughout the Year; as well as a host of artists, cultural organisations and institutions from across the UK who will take part - including the British Film Institute, Studio Wayne Macgregor and the Science Museum.
Indian Journalists' Association, which is celebrating its 70th year in May 2017, will also be hosting a gala dinner in November this year to mark the India-UK year of Culture. The new Committee has been elected on Monday 20 February- with veteran journalist Ashis Ray as the President, Rupanjana Dutta of Asian Voice as the General Secretary and former broadcaster Dr Shiv Pande as the Treasurer. The organisation has also created a special subcommittee this year, that will be organising the celebrations, led by by veteran journalist H S Rao of PTI.
