Ambassador of India in Tehran H.E. Mr. Sanjay Singh was the Chief Guest at the function organized by the Islamic Centre of Graduates of India in Tehran on February 16, 2011 to commemorate the 61st Anniversary of the Republic Day of India and the 32nd Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The guests present on the occasion included former Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Manouchehr Mottaki and several senior officials from the government and the private sector in Iran. The function was attended by over 500 graduates from India and their families.

In his address, Ambassador Singh said that he was delighted to see many of the participants who have spent their youth in India and consider India as their second home. Highlighting the cultural and civilizational links between the two countries, he said that India and Iran cradles of ancient civilizations are linked through historical and civilizational ties and shared cultural experiences. He recalled the words of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, "I doubt if there are
any two counties in the wide world which have had such close and long historical contact as Iran and India."

He also recalled the words of India's national poet Rabindranath Tagore, who said, "My visit to Persia has given me faith in the power of the eastern peoples to assert themselves and quickly find their way to a united manifestation of their undying heritage in spite of conflict and difficult economic circumstance". He mentioned that this year marks the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore and that a series of events are planned in Tehran and Shiraz to commemorate this anniversary.

Tehran

19 February 2011