Muscat: The Indian expatriates and diplomats marked the 77th Independence Day of India on Tuesday at the embassy and various Indian community schools in the Sultanate.
Amit Narang, Ambassador of India to Oman, led the celebrations by hoisting the Indian tricolour national flag at the Indian Embassy in Muscat.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday that his government was working to end ethnic clashes in the country's remote northeast that have killed more than 150 people since May.
Speaking from New Delhi's Red Fort for his annual Independence Day address, Modi said the conflict had abated and the relative peace in recent days "must continue".
"This will pave the way for a resolution -- it can only be found through peace," he said. "All Indians are with the people in Manipur and the state and central governments are working for peace."
A speech at the Red Fort to mark India's independence from Britain has been an annual tradition since the country's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, took office. Tuesday was Modi's last address from the centuries-old monument in the heart of Delhi before general elections next year, where he will seek a third successive term in office.
Modi remains popular and is widely expected to win the vote, but will face an invigorated coalition of disparate opposition parties campaigning on cost of living issues. India's economy overtook that of former colonial power Britain last year, and Modi told the thousands of students, soldiers and foreign dignitaries in his audience that the country would become the world's third-largest economy if he was returned to power. He also announced new policies ahead of the poll, including a $2 billion training package for workers and an expansion of subsidized pharmaceuticals for low-income earners.
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