Compliments to my dear fellow citizens and friends of India on the momentous occasion of India’s 74th Republic Day. Many congratulations to all. It was on this day in 1950 that the sacred essence of India assumed a formal shape and the nation’s constitution came into effect. It is a tremendous blessing that some of the best minds of the generation were part of the Constituent Assembly that prepared the document. They ushered India into a new dawn and awakened its soul in a new era. The rise of the nation is not just a matter of pride for India itself. One-fifth of the world’s population resides there, and so the future and progress of humanity will also depend on how well the country progresses. This year is very special because India will host the G20 summit. The theme of India’s G20 presidency — “One Earth, One Family, One Future” — reflects the core tenets of humanism. This special occasion will be used to show the world the importance of multilateralism and collaboration, and also highlight the civilizational values that India, as a country, embodies. In recent years, relations between Saudi Arabia and India have expanded into a number of fields, notably security, trade, investment, health, food security, culture and defense. The large Indian community in the Kingdom, which numbers about 2.3 million, acts as a “living bridge” connecting our two nations. I am proud and happy that its members contribute, in their own ways, to the development and progress of these two great countries. We express our sincere gratitude to the government and people of the Kingdom for providing all of their support for Hajj 2022 and we look forward to working with Saudi authorities for the successful organization of Hajj 2023. As members of an old civilization and a young republic, we Indians believe that we have a lot to do in our endeavors to build a better world. Every Republic Day reminds us of this. I once again congratulate my fellow citizens and friends of India on this momentous day. Jai Hind. Mohammed Shahid Alam is the consul general of India in Jeddah.